Undercover
by Michael Howard
Summary: Three weeks after "Emotion Sickness" and three weeks before "So The Drama" Kim and Ron go on a mission unlike any other. The world's only Kim Possible/Gilmore Girls/Cthulhu Mythos Crossover is now complete.
1. Reconnecting

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**1. Reconnecting**

Friday Evening:

"Miss Possible?

"Miss Possible?

"Um, Kim?"

With a start Kim Possible turned to face the woman speaking to her but the sudden movement caused a book to drop from the teenager's lap.

The co-pilot bent down to retrieve the fallen object from the cabin floor. "Sorry to disturb you. But we thought you'd like to know we'll be landing soon."

"Right. Thank you."

After a moment's consideration, the book was handed back to Kim. "Jane Austen's Emma? I bet that's a real page turner."

"Well, as assigned reading goes, it really isn't _that_ bad. The lead character is infuriatingly clueless about who the right guy is for her, though."

"Lord, do I remember how much I hated 'assigned reading'." The woman shook her head in a pitying manner. "There isn't enough money in the world to make me go back to your age again."

Kim gave her a tight smile and glanced pointedly at the English book before meeting the other's gaze again with slightly raised eyebrows.

"Okay," said the co-pilot. "I guess I'd better get back up front."

The woman started walking toward the cockpit of the transport jet and was well out of earshot when Kim muttered, "So you're trying to tell me high school isn't all fun and games?" Shoving the book into her backpack, she called out, "Ron, time to wake up!"

"Not asleep, KP," came a voice in the row behind her.

Kim stood up and turned around. Ron Stoppable was stretched out over three seats with his head propped up against a small mountain of pillows and his feet dangling into the aisle. He was holding her Kimmunicator.

"Homework?"

"Not exactly." His eyes flicked briefly to her face, then back at the screen again. "Doing research."

"Really. Why?"

"Well, I'm the team leader for this mission and-"

"Okay, first, you are so not the… "

Her words trailed off as the aircraft began to shudder slightly, indicating a rapid reduction in speed and altitude. Knowing their landing was imminent, Kim started to reach down to poke his nearest leg but Ron was already moving into a seated position. Kim dropped into the chair next to him and they each clicked on their seat belts.

"Okay, Ron. Now I do appreciate you coordinating things with Global Justice while Wade is away at that conference and I've been busy with Regionals and...other stuff. But that doesn't put you in charge of this mission."

They rocked in their seats for a moment as the jet's landing gear made contact with the runway.

"How about second in command?"

Kim turned to give her best friend a questioning look. Matching his deadpan expression, she asked, "Are you sure Rufus will be okay with that?"

"Well, not one hundred percent sure, but he is back in Middleton and I was hoping you wouldn't tell him."

Kim kept her eyes locked with his and counted in her head.

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

Her best friend turned away just before he broke into a smile. _Lots of weirdness going on between the two of us the last couple of weeks, _thought Kim, _but at least I can still beat him in a staring contest. _

"What's the sitch here, Ron? Why does GJ want us in Connecticut?"

"All questions will be answered, KP. But not right now. We have places to go to, things to do. So grab some civilian clothes out of your bag and get changed." The plane had come to a stop by that point so Ron unfastened his seat belt and leaned forward to pull out a cardboard box from under his chair. "Put these on, too."

She opened the lid a few inches. "What-"

"Two words, KP. Undercover."

"That's one word," was her automatic reply as she slung a carry-on bag over one shoulder and headed for the lavatory.

Ten minutes later Kim was studying herself in the small mirror above the washbasin. Her mission gear had been replaced with a pink hoodie and a demin skirt. Nothing unusual about that but tucking her thick mane of red hair underneath a short, spiky black wig had brought about a remarkable change in the teen. And when combined with a pair of funky cat's eye glasses and a (pretend) nose stud, it was no longer Kim Possible staring back at her. She looked years older, more mature, less conventional.

_Maybe things would have gone differently with Bobby Johnson if I had only..._

With a low growl Kim yanked down on the door handle and stepped out.

Ron must have been in the other lavatory because she didn't see him anywhere in the cabin.

"Miss Possible?" asked the pilot, with an incredulous smile. "Impressive new look you have there. So, can we help you with your bags?"

"Thanks, we'll manage." Kim looked from him to the co-pilot. "We really appreciate the ride out here. You have both been very accommodating."

The two members of the flight crew glanced at each other, and then turned broad grins toward her. In unison they said, "No big!"

"Ha ha. You got me." Realizing her own smile was fading fast, Kim turned toward the rear of the plane. "I wonder what's keeping... Ron?"

Standing before her was a young man whose blonde hair was combed straight back from his forehead. He had on a salmon colored button down shirt and a pair of form fitting blue jeans, neither of which she recognized, but what struck her most forcefully was the neatly trimmed goatee he now wore.

_Undercover is right, _Kim decided. _Ron could pass for somebody in his mid twenties._

"Are we ready to go, KP?"

"So ready."

They exited the plane through a covered walkway and emerged into a main corridor. A few minutes of walking brought them to a food court.

"Feel like getting something to eat?"

Kim's gaze shifted from one restaurant to another. "No, but a drink would be good... "

"There's no need to skimp, KP. I've got things covered."

"Is that right?"

"Well, sort of. GJ has us on an expense account for this mission."

"Spankin'. Is that how you got those clothes?"

"Uh, no. These are things relatives have given me over the years that I dug out of my closet. I can dress a little different when my pants pockets aren't doubling as a mole rat sleeping bag."

"Right." She considered telling him how nice he looked in them but had long held to the belief that best friends didn't need to compliment each other. Besides he was subject to bouts of big heady-ness and the very last thing she needed to deal with this weekend was him hitting on - or at least the innocuous Ron version of hitting on - every female who got within fifty feet of him. So instead she asked, "Did GJ provide the hair?"

"After I sent over the designs."

She glanced around their immediate vicinity and then said in a softer, more playful voice, "Ron Stoppable is the 'Master of Disguise'. Coming soon to a theatre near you."

"Guess I'll take that over 'Master of Disaster'."

"Ron, it's not fair to keep bringing that up. You know your grandmother was just having a bad day when she called you that."

"Okay, Kim. You sure you don't want anything to eat?"

"Just a soda. Please and thank you."

Fortunately, Ron wasn't gone long enough for Kim to hit full brooding mode.

"Just the way you like it, KP." Ron placed her drink down on the table. "Mostly cola, but with a splash of cherry and a double shot of lemonade."

She gave him a grateful smile and then eyed the heaping contents of the tray he had returned with. "You sure GJ can take this kind of hit, Ron?"

"Heh, heh. Kim Possible and Company do not come cheap. Not this weekend, anyway." He tapped a finger against the plastic lid of one of the containers overflowing the tray. "Got a salad here, uh, by mistake. You know I'm not gonna eat it."

"Can't, Ron. Not right now."

"Crummy tummy?"

"Yeah, a little."

Minutes passed silently as Ron devoted his attention to his food and Kim idly surveyed the people around them. Her gaze, however, kept returning to his new face.

"Don't you dare wipe your mouth on that shirt!"

Ron narrowed his eyes and glanced around to see how many people were now staring at them. He didn't blush, of course. Occurrences like that were rarer than good days with the Tweebs. But there was a certain stiffness in his movements as he rummaged through the pile of now empty food wrappers and boxes in search of a napkin.

"Kim, if I would have known this was going to be a mother-son outing, I'd have rethought the hairstyles."

Matching his low tone, she replied, "I shouldn't have done that. I... uh... I'm sorry."

He leaned back in his chair, surprise evident on his face. Kim wasn't known for the frequency of her apologies and Ron had received precious few of those considering how much time they spent together. He made a dismissive gesture and then gave her a sudden grin. "Hey, I almost forgot my big news. We, meaning you and I, will be attending the Twelfth Grade. At the same time."

"You've got enough credits to graduate?"

He nodded and their palms met with an audible smack.

"Now _that_ is some boo-yah-worthy news."

"You know it, KP. Usually Barkin keeps me sweating until _after_ Memorial Day."

"So if Summer School isn't in your near future, what are your plans for the break? Besides some heavy-duty marination, I mean."

"I can't predict the future so why should I plan for it?"

Kim considered this for a moment, then remarked, "I don't even know how to begin to respond to that."

"What about you? Montana again?"

"Doubtful. My dad has been ferociously busy with some secret project. No telling when he'll finish up."

"You're pretty busy yourself these days. With the Regionals and... other stuff.

"I guess."

"You missed practice today."

"Yeah. There was a thing."

"A mission?"

"No, a meeting. The last meeting of the Prom Planning Committee."

"Oh, right. When is the Prom again?"

"Three weeks from today."

"Hmm."

_I guess that just about says it all. He hasn't actually come out and told me as much, but I think it's pretty clear that Ron has just given up on the whole concept of dating. At the ripe old age of seventeen. Of course after what happened to me earlier today, maybe he's got the right idea. _

"So, KP, you ready to hit it? We need to find an ATM that will take the GJ card or we'll be thumbing it to the hotel."

The cash withdrawal went smoothly and Kim had smiled to see that Ron had chosen her birth month and day for the card's pass code.

Outside the airport terminal, it was cool with occasional wind gusts that carried a threat of rain. Holiday weekend or not, they had no trouble hailing a cab and soon found themselves traveling along the I-91 Expressway out of Hartford.

It was too dark to appreciate the local scenery but Ron was able to make out the taxi driver's name from the identification paperwork posted on the Plexiglas barrier between the front and back seats.

"So, Mr. ah... Rianos, this town we're headed to, Stars Hollow, have you been there before?"

"Yes, many times. It is a popular destination with the tourists."

"A nice place, then?"

"Well, Atlantic City is more my speed, but Stars Hollow is still pleasant enough." There was a pause and then he added in an emphatic tone, "Do not leave town without getting a burger at Luke's!"

"Okay. Any other advice for us?"

"Don't order the lobster at Al's Pancake World."

"Riiiiight," Kim said, exchanging a look with Ron.

The driver adjusted the rearview mirror so he could make eye contact with her. "The man was sitting just where you are now, miss."

"The man?"

"The man who had the lobster. You wouldn't think anybody could throw up so much in-"

"Thanks for the warning, Mr. Rianos. We won't forget." Kim moved the partition's clear plastic door into a closed position and undid her seatbelt. She slid over to the right until her arm bumped against Ron's and buckled herself into the middle position.

"Kim?"

"Uh huh?"

"Where did we take that taxi ride with those stone tablets we were trying to keep away from Monkey Fist?"

"Thailand."

"Thailand, right. Thailand? Are you sure? I remember the people on the street looked very Asian."

"Maybe because Thailand is in Asia."

"Okay, what about the zebra stampede?"

"Tanzania."

"No, Kim. Tanzania is where we almost got buried in those smuggling tunnels."

"That was Tijuana!" She took a calming breath. "Ron, I have my geography book with me. Feel free to borrow it as much as you like this weekend."

Her offer was met with another gesture of dismissal.

"There are still Finals to study for," she pointed out.

"Hello! I'm a guaranteed senior! What would the point be?"

Kim sank back into her seat with a quiet sigh. _That_, she told herself sadly, _is the essence of Ron Stoppable._

* * *

They reached Stars Hollow at half past nine local time and the Dragonfly Inn a few minutes after that. Kim couldn't make out many details in the gloom, but somehow the Inn still managed to convey a feeling of relaxed, and yet elegant charm.

Ron handed a wad of bills to Kim before they stepped out of the cab and asked her to settle the fare while he retrieved their bags from the trunk.

She agreed automatically but quickly hit a stumbling block when it came to the gratuity. Certainly the driver was entitled to _something_ extra but she had no idea how to calculate the appropriate amount. Should the percentage be higher than that given to a waitperson? Lower? And then there was the other consideration that it wasn't her own money she would be handing out.

There were probably no two teenagers in the world who had traveled as far and as frequently as Kim and Ron but that was never pay as you go. Either they were with their parents for family trips or they collected favors to get to their missions.

Kim stood there for what seemed to her to be an eternity, subjecting the three of them to the drizzly night air, and tried to decide whether she would prefer being mentally labeled stingy and ungrateful now or extravagant and irresponsible later.

Finally Ron realized her dilemma and grabbed a twenty-dollar bill from her. "Thank you, my man. We'll keep your advice in mind."

As the taxi pulled away, Kim was again reminded there were definite advantages to being unconcerned with the opinions of others.

Inside the Inn it was warm and dry with the flames in the fireplace softly crackling. Kim took off her rain-speckled glasses and looked about her. The lobby was not particularly large but it's decorations were intricate and visually pleasing, so several seconds passed before Kim realized they were being watched. With a whispered, "This way, Ron," she tugged at his sleeve to lead him over to the reception desk. The woman seated behind it was young, probably just a few years older than Kim and Ron. She had long auburn hair, a flawless complexion, and intensely blue eyes.

"Good evening. Can I help you?"

Kim returned her smile. "Good evening. We have reservations for the weekend. The name is... Uh... " _The name is something I have been too distracted to ask about. Ron knows of course but he has apparently been rendered speechless by your beauty. _She cleared her throat and edged a little closer to Ron. When a gentle nudge failed to stir him, she gave him a not so gentle poke with her elbow.

"Pendarvis! The reservations are in the name Pendarvis."

The woman eyed each of them skeptically, then moved an intimidatingly thick textbook to one side and started typing on a computer keyboard. There was mild surprise in her voice when she stated, "You _do_ have reservations." She considered the monitor a moment longer and then the smile returned to her lips. "I guess this explains the confusion about names. It says here you two are on your honeymoon."

Kim felt herself tense up. _Chill out already,_ she told herself. _This has nothing to do with the weird visions you've been having. Ron doesn't know about those. Nobody does._

A sheet of paper was placed on the countertop. "If I can just get you to sign here, Mr. Pendarvis."

"Right. Uh, KP, my arm."

Only then did Kim realize she was gripping Ron's arm. Tightly. She let go hastily and watched him step forward.

"And there too, please. Thank you."

The woman checked over the form and then looked back at Ron. "Have you been here before, Mr. Pendarvis?"

"No," he said, then cleared his throat and repeated the answer in a less squeaky tone.

"But there is something... familiar about you. Do you go to Yale?"

That idea caused the two teens to exchange amused looks.

"Never been there either," said Ron. He handed the pen back to the woman and was given two sets of keys.

"You are going to be in Room 4. That's up those stairs, second door on the left. Should I call someone to help with your bags?"

"We'll manage," replied Kim.

"All right, my name is Rory. If there is anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to call."

At the top of the stairs Ron mumbled, "And I used to think Penny Stanchuk had the most beautilicious eyes... "

Kim gave him a sour look and snatched one of the keys out of his hand. "We're over here."

They entered Room 4 and flicked on the overhead light. Kim set her bags down in the corner and directed Ron to do the same. Then they sank into the two upholstered chairs along the wall closest to the bathroom. Kim considered the tasteful furnishings at length, her eyes giving a careful appraisal to everything except the single large bed in the center of the room.

It was quiet for several seconds before Ron asked, "Yale is one of those brainy schools, right? I mean they don't just let anybody in. And did you see what she was reading? That wasn't a book, it was a suitcase!"

"Okay, Ron. I think you need to stop talking about other girls while we're on our... " She paused to ensure maximum sarcasm in her tone, "honeymoon."

"Oh, yeah. About that." He rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a half smile, half grimace. "I guess I should have told you about that part of the cover story earlier. But it was important that we get a room _here_."

"Why? It's a nice place and all but I'm sure there are other local- Wait, is this about that woman downstairs?"

"What? No! This Inn happens to be a very popular place and we're in a holiday weekend. I fudged things a little to get us in."

"And again I ask why?"

"Sookie St. James."

"Who's that?"

"The chef of the Dragonfly Inn. Part owner, too."

"Go on," prompted Kim.

"Ms. St. James has an cousin named Amy. Amy Hall."

"DNAmy!"

"Right."

"Okay, so Global Justice thinks when Amy bugged out of prison-"

"Yeah, she '_bugged_ out of prison'. Nice choice of words there, KP."

"Hmm? Oh, right. The mutated fire ants. I almost forgot. So anyway, there must be more than just the family connection for GJ to send us out here."

"Oh yeah, there's more. And we'll get all the details tomorrow when we meet the confidential informant."

Kim found she was smiling in spite of the anxiety she had felt shortly before. "This is different, Ron. It's... it's... "

"The word is badical."

"Okay then, badical. I was desperate for a mission, any kind of mission, umm, y'know, just to keep my hand in. But this is like winning the lottery. I love the idea of having an assignment where I do more than just trade sweep kicks with Shego."

"You mean like the Lowerton gig?"

"Exactly."

The time they went undercover at Lowerton High School was one of the most enjoyable missions of Kim's career. It wasn't a save-the-world event, just breaking up a ruthless crime ring operating inside the school. Kim had posed as a smart mouthed 'bad girl' with multiple body piercings while Ron, thanks to a secret cyber link with Wade, was an arrogant overachiever who talked down to his teachers.

"So it's gonna be a role-playing weekend," she concluded. "Well, wouldn't Cousin Larry be proud of me."

Ron stood up, walked over to his mission backpack, and fumbled through a few of the pockets.

"Here, before I forget."

He handed her a credit card and an Ohio Driver's License, each made out to a Kimberly Weasley. The license had a picture of her but with the short black hair she now wore. _Amazing what they can do with digital image manipulation. _

"Weasley is my mother's maiden name but where does Pendarvis come from?"

He sat down again and cocked his head to one side. "You really don't remember?"

"Well, uh... "

"Think back thirteen years."

"Thirteen years ago we were in... Preschool! And our teacher was Mrs. Pendarvis!"

Ron nodded his head slowly. "Good times, good times. And not just because I could still keep up with my homework."

"You were a good student all through elementary school, Ron. You got better grades than me until, until... "

"Until Camp Wannaweep," he finished in a matter-of-fact tone.

Kim shrugged. "Yeah. So, uh, what do have in your hand there?"

Ron looked down at the small velvet bag he was holding. "The last pieces of our costumes," he said, tipping the bag until a pair of golden rings dropped into his palm.

"Huh. They think of everything. Let's take a look."

He handed over the smaller ring and she held it up to the light to see it sparkle.

"Not as big as something 'The Ron' would buy, but I think the style is nice. So we get to keep these when the mission is over?"

A look of confusion came over him until he realized she was joking. "Yeah, I wouldn't count on that, KP. Are you gonna try it on?"

Kim studied his face for a moment. "You first."

Ron slipped a plain gold band on his right ring finger and quickly looked back up at her.

Kim's first thought on seeing a wedding ring on her own finger was how much her hands looked like her mother's. _That shouldn't be a surprise,_ she told herself, _since I got everything else._ She glanced down at her chest for a moment then jerked her head up quickly when she remembered Ron was just a few feet away.

"Is the ring not the right size, KP?"

"No, no. It's good. Everything is terrific." She gestured toward the bathroom. "Do you need in there? Okay, I'm gonna get changed."

When she emerged twenty minutes later, Kim noticed Ron was wearing a pair of new looking pajamas. Of course _he_ had known they would be sharing a room tonight. The pjs she had packed were decidedly ratty in comparison, and since the top was a little more revealing than was comfortable for her under the circumstances, she was still wearing a bra underneath it.

_Really though, why do I bother? It's just Ron here and he doesn't notice things like that. _

Dismissing her misgivings as another by-product of her sucky day, Kim said casually, "Hey, you shaved."

"And you're a redhead again."

She ran her fingers through her hair. "Man, I used to think skating helmets did a number on the 'do. Wigs are way worse."

Ron considered her appearance for a moment, then asked, "All done in the bathroom?"

"Yeah."

Kim didn't time him but she was sure Ron was back in less than five minutes.

Setting his bag down in the corner once more he said, "Hey, KP. I was checking out the local cable guide earlier. There's a 'Pals' episode on at 11."

"Not really in a TV kinda mood right now."

"Right. Well, I'll get things set up."

Kim watched him pull the small table out from its position between the two big chairs. Of course he didn't realize the table lamp was still plugged in and she had to leap forward off the bed to keep it from crashing to the floor.

He smiled appreciatively as she placed it gently on the carpet. "You always got my back, KP."

"Ron! Do you know how incredibly embarrassing it would be to explain to that woman down there that the 'newlyweds' broke something."

"Uh, Kim, I'm pretty sure that married people break things, too. Remember what my dad did to our front window during that Yahtzee game."

_Like father, like son, _thought Kim_. No need to save up for the paternity test. _Aloud she said, "Let me help you here. Where is the table going?"

"By the door, I think. Then we turn the chairs to face each other like this."

When that was done, Kim went to the armoire on the other side of the room and pulled it open. As expected, there was a generous supply of extra pillows and blankets inside. She gathered up an armful and brought them over to drop on to one of the chairs.

Meeting his eyes again she asked, "So, how do we decide who gets the bed tonight?"

"How 'bout top score in Zombie Mayhem?"

"How 'bout top GPA?"

He held both palms out in mock surrender. "You get the bed, Kim. All three nights. If there is one thing the Ron Man has mastered in thirteen years of schooling, it's how to sleep in a chair."

She gave a slight nod and he suddenly clapped his hands together loud enough to make her blink. "Okay then, so who's up for some room service?"

A quarter of an hour later they were both stretched out on the bed with a tray full of food between them. Kim could admit, to herself at least, that the cheese sticks he had ordered smelled delicious, but she had sworn off fried food years before and, while she did make exceptions, she didn't think her stomach could handle something that heavy and greasy today.

Contented herself with sipping a bottled water and dipping her crackers into his marinara sauce she asked, "So where did we meet anyway?" His face showed puzzlement until she added, "The married Kim and Ron."

He swallowed loudly before venturing, "Cuddle Buddy convention?"

She gave him a glare so that amusement would not show on her face. "That's strike one... Ronald. And, uh, was it a long courtship for us?"

"Oh, yeah. It took years for you to finally wear me down."

Kim let out her breath in a derisive snort. _Okay, it's not just my imagination here. Ron is teasing me! He hasn't done that in years. This is very unusual behavior for him and yet I... kind of like it. _

Working hard to keep pleasure out of her expression, she warned, "The ice is getting thinner. So think carefully before giving your next answer. Where were we when you proposed to me?"

Ron tapped his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Psychiatric hospital? School for the Blind? Torture Chamb-"

Kim had pinched his lips together between her thumb and forefinger. "Now _that's_ how I like my husbands. Seen and not heard." She pulled her hand away. "Okay, while we're waiting for your delusion medicine to be delivered, I gonna tell you what _really_ happened. See, the INS was on your case and I felt sorry for you and I needed the money so I agreed to marry you."

"Hope I made it worth your while," he said, reaching for his milk shake.

"Three Naco royalty checks. But to tell you the truth I would have done it for two because otherwise you were going to be deported back to... back to... "

"Yes, Ms. Pendarvis?"

"Back to... Drakk-anada!"

Kim barely managed to get the sentence out before exploding into convulsions of laughter.

Ron let her go on for a long moment, then said with raised voice, "I suppose people are going to wonder why our honeymoon is only for three days."

"Not after they spend any time with you!" Kim choked out.

He licked breading crumbs from his fingertips and set their tray down on the floor. "I'll just have to explain that was all the time you could get off from your job. At Smarty-Mart."

Her head snapped around. "You wouldn't be so low. Would you?"

"Yeah, in the Smarty-Mart snack bar. Next month it will be seven happy years on the job."

"Okay, I'm starting to feel the need for a martial arts workout."

"Your bosses like you, Kim. In fact there's even talk of a promotion."

"Now what can I use for a punching bag?"

"Play your cards right and by the end of the year maybe you'll be in charge of... putting marshmallows on the hot dogs."

Suddenly Kim flung herself several feet into the air and her body was twisting in place even as she rose upwards. For the descent, she positioned herself so that her knees came down on either side of his hips and the palms of her hands forced his shoulders back on to the bed.

Staring down at him with slitted eyes she asked, "Ready to retract that last remark?"

Ron made a pretense of trying to break her hold, then sank back with a resigned sigh. "Okay, you're not in charge of putting marshmallows on the hot dogs."

"That's better."

"You're second in command."

She gave him a mock scowl but before she could make any type of verbal reply, a memory suddenly appeared in her mind's eye. No, many memories. How many times in the first few years of their friendship had they found themselves in this position? Kim would want Ron to tell her something, give her something, or accompany her somewhere but he was reluctant. She didn't understand the power of the Puppy Dog Pout in those days and so when cajoling alone wouldn't win him over, Kim would have to resort to threats of a physical nature. Sometimes making a smooching sound was enough. On other occasions the sight of her running a tongue over her lips would cause him to relent. But there were rare events, usually if her desires appeared to present a significant risk to his life and his limbs, when only the torture of having a girl's mouth actually make contact with his skin could break his will. How many kisses had it taken before he agreed to follow her down that open manhole in search of Cindy Wellman's missing kitten? Certainly more than a dozen and some of those were on the lips.

Kim's attention returned to the present where Ron's face was barely a foot away from her own. _We haven't been this close since that night three weeks ago._ "I... uh..."

Suddenly feeling very inarticulate, Kim knocked her forehead against his and rolled off the bed.

"Ow! Why did you do that?"

Kim tossed her head back theatrically so that her hair moved behind her shoulders. "Let's call it an irresistible impulse and leave it at that." She gathered up the tray and headed for the door. "Could you… "

Ron unlocked the door and opened it long enough for her to set the tray down in the hall.

"Thank you," she said when they were back behind a secured door. "Now I'm going to go brush and floss. Again. And then," she sighed, "hit the books for a while longer."

The 'while longer' turned out to be thirty-seven minutes by which time Kim was bleary-eyed and incapable of absorbing any further information on the Great Depression. She leaned over and set her history book on the floor.

"Hey, Ron. How's about we-"

_Oops._ It looked like he was already asleep. Curled up in one of the chairs, his head was tilted to one side and his eyes were closed. She got out of bed and walked over to him. After watching his chest rise and fall for half a minute, she reached down to retrieve the Kimmunicator from his lap. It was set for web browsing, an activity that had apparently occupied him for a good portion of the time since they had left school that afternoon. Kim looked more closely at the text on the display screen. It seemed to be some type of recipe although most of the listed ingredients were unknown to her. Undeniably the boy loved to eat, but would he really find this type of information so fascinating? She jabbed the back button and saw another recipe. Then another and another. After three more recipes, she saw a listing of search results for Bueno Nachos in Connecticut. There were six but, unfortunately for Ron, none close to Stars Hollow.

_Why am I checking up on my best friend? Don't I trust him? Would I treat Monique like this? _

Kim felt her cheeks begin to warm as she recalled secretly examining Ron's cell phone and PC after his return from Japan last year. She pressed down on the forward button until the screen was again showing the last web page he had been looking at. With another glance at his face, she bent down and placed it on the floor next to his chair.

Kim moved silently back to the bed and turned out the lights before climbing under the covers. The room was dark and quiet, the mattress every bit as comfortable as her own back in Middleton, but she knew with absolute certainty that sleep would not come to her until she processed, relived, what had happened back at school earlier today.

* * *

One by one the members of the Prom Planning Committee had said their good-byes, eager to begin the long weekend, until finally Kim and Bobby Johnson were alone in the conference room.

"Looks like the last item on the agenda is the play list. How's that coming along, Bobby?"

He slid a piece of paper across the table. "Done."

"Wow." She scanned the list of song titles. "Double wow. This sounds terrific. Looks like we have some similar interests when it comes to music."

"So you're approving this as the final title list?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Kim got one of those penetrating looks that he was so good at. "Well, the thing is, Bobby, the list will need one or two little tweaks."

"Such as?"

"For starters, I promised my friend Monique I'd listen to a few new songs she's been raving about. If I don't put at least one of those in the set, I'll never hear the end of it."

"And the other problem?"

She gave him an apologetic smile. "Content. The lyrics for a couple of these songs are a little suggestive. They won't pass the Barkin test."

He shook his head slowly and muttered, "This place is so lame."

Bobby had been at Middleton High for several months now but he and Kim had no classes together and the Planning Committee was the first time that she had really done more than exchange a few pleasantries with him. His good looks and awesome fashion sense were apparent from the beginning, but observing him over the course of a half dozen Committee meetings, Kim felt she had gained a greater understanding of him. Yes, he had a generally sullen disposition and could be brusque with people at times, but she decided that was caused by the pain of being forced to move here from Upperton. Anybody would be out of sorts, she repeatedly told herself, if they had to leave their friends and the life they knew behind them.

"Bobby, I may be totally out of place here, but I think you would have an easier, a happier time at school if you could look at Middleton with a more open mind. Instead of dwelling on the ways we're different from Upperton, look around for the positives." She recognized her spiel was drifting over to sappiness and decided to cut things short. "Give us a chance. I don't think you'll regret it."

"Who do you mean by 'us'?"

"The students at Middleton High."

"Does that include the girls?"

"Umm, well, sure."

He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "Why don't you suggest someone for me to give a chance to."

Kim was suddenly aware of the heart beating in her chest. "You mean a girl?"

He smirked. "Call me conventional but that's who I prefer to date."

Kim hadn't given much conscious thought to dating recently. In her mind the Moodulator disaster earlier this month had doomed any hope of attracting a guy for the remainder of her Junior Year (at least). Was it possible that someone, anyone, at school could have missed hearing the humiliating stories of how she had thrown herself at Ron? Kim found that hard to believe, but if he didn't know or could overlook knowing, maybe there was some chance for her after all.

Clearing her throat softly, she said, "Y'know it's kind of ironic with me chairing this committee and all, but I actually don't have a date yet for the prom."

"Why not just go with that kid in the red shirt?"

Kim felt her shoulders start to slump a little and tried to make her smile that much brighter. "I know it's confusing to people about Ron and me. I suppose if I were on the outside looking in I'd wonder too. Ron is a friend who happens to be a boy. There's a big difference between that and a boyfriend."

"Okay. Right. So why were you two doing all that kissing a few weeks ago?"

So much for hoping he was out of the loop. Kim moved her hands to her lap so the table would hide all the nervous wringing. "There is actually an explanation for that. A very good explanation. But it's kind of convoluted." She considered the stony look he was giving her. "And so here's the condensed version. I don't want to sound braggy but I imagine that you have heard _something_ about my after school activities."

He gave a slight nod.

"Well, in the course of those activities I frequently come in contact with advanced technology." _Why am I making this sound like a college lecture? Lose the big words, Kim! _"I mean we're talking some seriously whacked gizmos, everything from truth rays to muscle builder-uppers." She frowned at the awkwardness of her last sentence, then plunged forward again. "What happened three weeks ago was that I was exposed to a machine that messed with my emotions. It turned my feelings of friendship for Ron into lo- into something else. As soon as the thing broke, I went back to normal. Or at least as normal as my life ever gets," Kim concluded, with what she hoped was a cheerful tone.

When he made no response, she asked, "Was that a total babble fest or did any part of it make sense?"

"I heard what you said."

_That's awfully cryptic. If I could just get a sense of what he was thinking, I'd know whether I should take a chance here or not. Of course while I debate and agonize over this, Bonnie will be plotting a move of her own. She did just break up with Brick Flagg. Again._

Kim took a very deep breath and let it out slowly. "So, do you think you can ignore the fact that I am a major weirdness magnet and go with me to the Prom?"

"No."

"I- I'm sorry?"

"No, I can't overlook all the weirdness and no, I don't want to go to the Prom with you."

Kim felt like Monkey Fist had just punched her in the face. When she was capable of coherent speech again she asked, "Is it because of Bonnie?"

"I _would_ go out with her over you, but as it turns out I don't need either one of you. The Upperton Prom is the same night as yours and I plan on being there."

"But-but why volunteer for this committee?"

"You know how fanatical they are at this school about extracurricular activities."

In a more heated tone she asked, "And why let me make a fool of myself when you weren't even interested in me?"

He raised one shoulder. "There's a reason for that, too. When my old girlfriend hears how I blew off the 'world famous teen hero' to be with her instead, I expect her to be very grateful." To be absolutely certain his message was coming across, he put his hands together in a quick, vulgar manner. "Very, very grateful."

Kim got to her feet, her stomach lurching as if Shego had just landed there with both boots. All she felt was nausea, but he must have read something else in her face because he stood up as well and his expression had finally changed. Instead of smug self-confidence, he began to show apprehension.

Kim didn't trust herself to speak any more and had started for the door when she noticed him scuttle sideways so that the table remained between them. _Does he really think that would be any kind of protection if I decided to come after him? To give him a taste of the grief he inflicted on me. Maybe do a little rearranging of that pretty face of his ... _

Without knowing how it happened, Kim suddenly found herself standing on the far side of the table just a few feet from where he cringed in the corner.

"My dad is a lawyer and if you lay one finger on me... "

Apparently he decided in mid-sentence that his father's career choice might not be a sufficient deterrent. He panicked and aimed a fist at her head. She blocked it effortlessly with her left forearm. The second punch and the kick that followed were parried just as easily.

A part of her brain screamed out, _That's it! Make him pay for what he did to you. He moved first so whatever happens now is just self-defense. Anyway, it would be your word against his and if it's public knowledge that you've saved the world a time or two, people tend to cut you a certain amount of slack. _

But there were other voices in her mind as well. Like her father reminding her that violence was only ever justified if used in defense. Her mother certainly shared that belief but at the moment it was another of her sayings that was reverberating through Kim's consciousness.

'Sometimes the injuries that hurt the most are those we inflict upon ourselves.'

_Okay, Dad, Mom. You win. _

Kim backed up until she could seat herself on the tabletop and in a very low voice told him, "I think we're done here."

He eyed her suspiciously for a few seconds and sprinted for the door. Kim waited just long enough for him to clear the immediate vicinity, then she stood up and started off for the nearest ladies room at a rapid pace.

She made it without further embarrassment but only by the narrowest of margins.

* * *

"Kim?" Ron's voice was slurred, confused.

_Good work, Possible. You woke him up. What kind of pathetic drama queen- _

"Kim? Are you okay?" His tone had become more anxious.

In the faint light coming from the bathroom she saw him rise out of his chair, scattering blankets and pillows, and then stumble against the bed and fall forward.

"Kim!"

She sat up and stretched an arm toward the end of the bed until her hand briefly made contact with his cheek. "Ron, it's all right."

She could feel the tension leave his body at her words. "Man, KP, speak up! I heard a sound like you were hurt or in pain and then nothing."

"You're sweet, Ron. But maybe you were dreaming. The only pain I'm feeling right now is coming from you laying on my feet and making them bend in a way I don't think they're supposed to go."

"Oh, sorry." He stood up. "Where is that light anyway?"

"Just leave it off, Ron. Please."

He was silent for a moment and even in the dark Kim could read indecision in his body language.

"It's no big, Ron. I'm just having a little trouble falling asleep."

Kim was sure he would call her on that but after another pause he asked, "You didn't bring Pandaroo along?"

"No."

"What can I do to help?"

"I don't know. But having me feel guilty about keeping _you_ up isn't it."

"I had a nap. Don't even feel tired anymore. What's the ehst, anyway?"

"The what?"

"E-S-T. Connecticut time."

It was another sign of Kim's current mindset that she had not yet entered the local time zone information into her wristwatch. Usually she saw to that well before their arrival at a mission location.

"About twenty minutes to midnight. Which probably means we need to keep our voices lower."

"I suppose so."

"So why don't you come up here with me. For now, I mean."

"Yeah."

His silhouette passed in front of the glow coming from the slightly ajar bathroom door, and then she felt him lower his body onto the bedcovers to her right. Somehow his movements seemed cautious, diffident.

"Ron?" Her voice was not much above a whisper.

"Yeah, KP?"

"We-we need to be extra careful this weekend."

"We do?"

"Yes."

"Uh, why?"

"Because... because... I'm just not at my peak these days. I'm afraid that I'll screw up and one of us will get hurt."

"I'm not," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Not one bit. You make a mistake about as often as I make the Honor Roll. Now, me, I'm afraid of monkeys, and the dark, bugs, garden gnomes, your cooking-"

"Hey!"

"And mechanical horses, and, well, so many other things that I'm, heh heh, afraid to count them all. But I never, ever worry that we'll someday find ourselves in some kind of trouble that you couldn't get us out of."

She found his hand in the dark and squeezed it. "I appreciate that. Really I do. But the point remains. When we are out on a job, I am responsible for your safety. Do you remember our first mission?"

"That depends. Do you mean the real one or the one that you wrote up for that school assignment?"

"Real. The one where my hands wouldn't stop shaking and how I threw up-"

"Three times."

"Before it started. That was because you were with me."

"Whoa. Way to stroke the sidekick's ego, KP."

'You know what I mean, Ron!" She sighed heavily. "I put my own phobia count at two. One is an irrational fear of people's disapproval that I think I'm finally starting to overcome."

He gave her a skeptical "Hmm."

"All right, maybe there is still room for improvement in that area. But my other fear is so much bigger and it's never going to go away. If anything ever happened to you, on a mission, I mean, I just couldn't... "

When he realized she wasn't going to finish the sentence, his right hand reached across to pat hers for a moment. "Okay, Kim. Here's the deal. _If _something was to happen on a mission, the one person who would _not_ be to blame would be you. It would be the fault of the bad guy du jour and... me. KP, I was obsessed with the whole vanquish the villain thing long before Mission Uno. I don't have too many memories from before we met, but the one that's most clear in my mind is that I wanted to grow up to be the Fearless Ferret. So, as it turned out, I didn't end up having very many save-the-world skills. But you do. And I'd like to think that, despite my frequent foul-ups, I do help you. Sometimes, at least."

"Ron, I know I don't thank you enough for the support you give me. Wade, either, for that matter. But I have said before that I could not save the world without you."

"You have, KP. But thanks again."

"Right back attcha."

"Umm, Kim?"

"Yeah?"

"The worries about a mission tanking. Do you get those a lot?"

"I wouldn't say a lot."

"But it happens?"

"On rare occasions, yes."

"And yet this is the first time you've ever said anything to me in like four years of world saving. Why?"

"I told you I'm a little off my game today."

"I'm not asking why you admitted it to me now. The question is why did you wait so long?"

"Well, I thought it was important in our, uh, working relationship that you have confidence in my abilities."

"What, did you get that out of a military manual or something?"

"Actually, yes. Barkin made me do a book report on it back when we were sophomores."

"I understand why you have to pose as the infallible, never break a sweat, victory is a given sort of superhero in public. And even more importantly, with your parents. But when it's just you and me?"

"Okay, maybe I need to rethink my position there... "

"I'd say so. Nobody knows you like I do, KP. The dirt I could spill would fill a dump truck. But, even so, there is no one in this world I admire and respect more than you."

"I... wow... Ron, I don't know what to say." She flung off her covers, moved herself into a sitting position, and motioned for him to do the same. After giving him a long, bone creaking hug she let go and dropped limply back on to her pillow. "Man, when did we last talk like this?" she asked.

"We talk every day, Kim."

"I mean really talk. About life and... feelings and important things."

"I dunno. Maybe not since our sleepover days and that's going back to Fifth Grade or earlier."

"Why'd we ever stop those, anyway?"

"I think puberty had something to do with it."

"Right. D'oy."

"So, we good, KP? Are _you_ good?"

"Very, very. Let's try to get some sleep."

Ron started to get up but was restrained by her sudden grip on his pajama sleeve.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Ron. Go to sleep."

Again he attempted to rise and again her hold prevented it.

"Kim?"

"Time to sleep. Don't make me go get the knockout lip gloss."

Her heart beat a half dozen times before he tugged down the covers on his side of the bed and lay down next to her. Kim let go of his sleeve and pulled the covers back up over the two of them. Then she rolled on to her side facing away from him and planted both of her feet against his lower leg.

"G'night, Ron."

"G'night, Kim."

Feeling warm and contented and, yes, drowsy, Kim knew that it would be a good night after all. Ron Stoppable might put in minimal effort for school, household chores, or most other aspects of his life, but no one worked harder when it came to being a caring and supportive friend to her.

* * *

(More Author Notes: Stars Hollow, and the people who live there are the inventions of Amy Sherman-Palladino. Television writers do not come any better.

The Weasley Family appears in the novels of the equally praiseworthy and far more famous J. K. Rowling.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, along with their friends, family, and foes, are the creations of Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. Kim and Ron may be characters from a children's television program, and a somewhat derivative one at that, but they, and the complexities of their relationship, are real and fascinating to me in a way that most prime time TV characters could never hope to achieve.

The above characters and concepts are all used without permission of the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	2. Second Honeymoon

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**2. Second Honeymoon**

Saturday Morning:

Consciousness returned in slow, gradual steps to Ron Stoppable. First came the realization that he was not waking up in his own bedroom. Then he recalled that his house was hundreds, possibly thousands of miles away at the moment because he had spent the night at a hotel in a little tourist town in Connecticut. The next fact to float up into his awareness was that his best friend, Kim Possible, was here as well. Here was used in a figurative sense, though, because Ron would have bet next month's allowance (had it not already been grudgingly advanced to him) on the belief that Kim was out doing something productive.

_I'm guessing a ten mile jog while checking her chemistry book for typos._

Ron decided the light coming through the window was too intense and twisted his head to face in the opposite direction. Doing so revealed that Kim was actually seated a few feet away with one leg perched on top of another and her forearms resting casually on the higher knee.

"Aahh!" said Ron as he hastily gathered the discarded bedding to his midsection. _Was I scratching? Tell me I was not scratching anywhere I shouldn't have been. _

"Good morning, Ron. Should I run downstairs and get you some nice strong coffee?"

The friendly sparkle in her emerald eyes was reassuring but did not explain why she had been watching him sleep. He ran a hand through his hair and asked, "What, is the TV broken?"

"Relax. I was just debating about when or whether I should wake you up."

"There's news on the DNAmy front?"

"As in I found her hiding in the bathroom and she's on her way back to the prison cell she broke out of? Ah, no."

"Right. So, how are you feeling today, KP?"

She smiled. "Like a thousand percent better. I know it's a cliché but getting a good night's sleep really does make the world a brighter place."

"First time in a while?"

"Well, insomnia hasn't been an _every_ night problem. Just a little more frequent than I would like."

"When did that start?"

She shrugged. "A few weeks ago, I guess."

_Meaning this is yet another negative consequence of the Moodulator deal. As if being forced to publicly kiss me and then endure the snickering and finger pointing of every kid at school wasn't punishment enough. _"I'm sorry, Kim."

"You didn't cause the problem, Ron."

No, but he had no doubt made the situation even worse for her. As a form of damage control, Ron had offered to keep his distance from her for a while, but she had vetoed that idea quickly and vehemently.

Ron stood up and moved toward the bathroom, giving her arm a pat as he stepped by.

When he emerged again barely two minutes later, Kim looked up from a newspaper spread out on the table before her. Noticing he was still wearing his nightclothes she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just forgot my shaving kit."

"Your 'shaving kit'? What would you be doing with one of those?"

He pulled a small black case from his carry-on bag and stood back up so his glare would have more potency behind it. "Y'know, Kim, I'm gonna treat that as one of those rhetoric questions and just not answer."

"The word is rhetorical. So, how long have you been shaving?"

He retrieved a can of shaving cream from the case and gave it a shake. "It's almost half empty."

"Oh, so it's been years then."

Ron gave her a glower and started back for the bathroom but Kim got there first. She held up a hand appeasingly. "I-I promise. No more digs."

"Good."

"But... I want to watch."

He considered this a moment, then silently waved her in. Kim stood next to him as he placed the shaving cream and a safety razor down on the counter top, then adjusted the faucet to the desired temperature.

"Wait." Kim reached out to run her fingertips along his jaw line. "For the before and after testimonial," she explained. "Now you may proceed."

"Sure you don't want to get in a few more snarky comments?"

"You mean something like after five years of babysitting I should know a baby's bottom when I feel it. No, I won't say that because I promised I wouldn't, and because... " She gave him a smile that somehow seemed wistful. "And because there really are a few whiskers there."

Kim sat down on the edge of the bathtub to watch him lather up and shave. When he had finished and was wiping his face with a towel, she asked, "So what other deep dark secrets have you been keeping from me?"

Ron suddenly froze in place. "I, er, well-"

Kim started for the door but let her hand linger for a moment on his shoulder as she passed by him. "That's a rhetoric question, Ron. You're not supposed to answer it."

The next time Ron saw Kim she was wearing the black wig, the glasses, and the nose stud.

"Sorry I took so long."

She made a flippy gesture with her hand. "I took a long shower today, too. You just weren't there to see it. Uh, I mean you weren't awake to be aware of it."

"Right. So, are you going to be up for some breakfast?"

"Oh, yeah. Stomach trouble seems to be yesterday's news."

"Great. The Inn is supposed to have terrific food."

"Then what are we standing around here for? Let's go downstairs."

"Yeah, just a minute, KP." Ron stroked his artificial goatee thoughtfully as he considered her appearance. "Something is not quite right here, but I can't figure out exactly what it is."

He walked completely around her. _No complaints about the way those jeans fit. And that top, since when does she leave the zipper down that far? _

Some part of the anger he suddenly felt toward himself must have appeared in his expression because she was giving him a distressed look.

"Is it that bad?"

"No! Kim, the look is amazing. It's just that... "

He snatched the glasses off her face without preamble, frowned, and then exclaimed, "Oh, yeah! The Ronster knows his game!"

He grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the bathroom. "Look at the mirror," he commanded.

"Yeah. You didn't clean it after your shower."

Ron pulled a hand towel off the rack and took a few swipes of the glass. "Look at _yourself_ in the mirror."

She did so and then turned back to him. "What am I supposed to see? A zit? Something in my teeth? Narrow it down for me, Ron."

"Check the eyebrows."

"Two, just like yesterday."

"Yes, but yesterday you were a redhead."

"Ohhhh. But is that really something a person would notice?"

"I did. Wait right here."

Ron came back with a handful of makeup pencils and held them in front of her hair and her skin one by one until he had the appropriate choice. His hands took hold of her upper arms and gently turned her until the light was equally strong on each side of her face.

"Now see, I could work on actually changing the color of the eyebrows but that wouldn't be so easy to switch back. So what I'm going to do is lighten the tint of the skin around your brows instead. It will accomplish the same thing and you can reverse it by just washing your face."

She smiled. " 'The Ronster knows his game.' "

That could just be Kimspeak for 'I don't know what you're talking about and I'm not going to admit it' but Ron preferred to interpret it as a compliment. He seated himself on the counter and leaned closer to her. The makeup tool was lifted up but then it froze in place.

"KP, you're not going to conk me on the head again, are you?"

Ron was close enough to hear Kim swallow before she replied in a murmur, "Not if you're expecting it. What's the fun in that?"

"Arch your brows. Good."

She closed her eyes at the same time and this gave him the courage to bring his face even closer to hers. He began to apply the pencil tip to her skin but this action did not receive his full attention because the nose stud she wore was shiny and therefore strangely fascinating.

"Does the nose thing hurt?"

"No, it's powered by what Wade calls a magnetic stasis field. When it's activated, the stud and the post inside are attracted to each other but won't come closer than, say, an eighth of an inch."

Ron didn't find the details all that interesting but the sensation of her warm, sweet breath on his face was exquisite. He wanted to keep her talking but had trouble coming up with safe topics of conversation.

_I certainly couldn't tell her I thought that with or without the stud she had the most delectable nose ever to grace a girl's, no, a woman's face. Or that her skin is so smooth and clear it looks like one of those porcelain dolls my mother collects. I know, I'll tell her that I'm really, really tempted to sneak a peak down the front of her shirt. Then she'll know what a 'good friend' I've been to her the last few weeks. _

_Man, we're coming up on nearly a month that's gone by since the Moodulator disaster so you'd think I could stop thinking about her... in that way for more than like five seconds in a row._

The pencil broke in half and Kim's eyes snapped open. Her gaze went from his face to the pencil piece in each hand and then back. "What, you still wearing the Henchco ring?"

Ron slid himself off the counter. "I was done with it, anyway." He plucked a tissue from the box on the wall and quickly blotted each of her eyebrows. "And now you're done, too."

Kim leaned forward to consider his efforts in the mirror. Straightening up again she said, "It's a subtle difference... "

_And now she thinks I did it just to get the chance to perv on her!_

"But I appreciate you putting in the extra effort for me. Thanks, Ron." Kim smiled at him and gave the false beard a playful tug.

"You must be starving, KP."

"Getting there, yeah."

"Well then, c'mon already."

They had the door to the hallway open when a thought occurred to Kim. "Wait, Ron," she said. Then in a whisper, she explained, "I want to bring the Kimmunicator down too, but neither one of us has a pocket big enough for it."

"Bring it down for breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Hello! It's a machine, Kim. Pretty sure it doesn't need to eat."

She gave him an incredulous glare. "Remind me to call my mom and set up a brain scan for you when we get back."

"I've already got a lot on my mind, KP. Can't you just write yourself a note?"

Her lips twitched. "I'm thinking the next head butting is going to be sooner rather than later."

"Are you two going to kiss?"

Startled, Ron turned around to see a blonde haired girl about five years old staring at them from an open doorway farther down the hall.

"Now why would you think that?" Kim asked in a friendly voice.

"That's what people do in hotels."

"Are you sure? It sounds kind of gross to me." Kim turned to Ron and whispered, "I guess we'll leave it here. Put it somewhere out of sight, please." In a louder voice she asked, "Have you been to many hotels?"

Ron walked to the table between the two chairs and picked up the Kimmunicator. His eyes moved around the room, locating and discarding a number of hiding places. He was considering the half-sized refrigerator when Kim stuck her head in the doorway for a moment to hiss, "Backpack. And close it up."

Of course. Even while engaged in a conversation with an inquisitive child, Kim still had the brainpower to arrive at the correct solution before he did.

Although rarely activated, the mission backpacks carried by Kim and Ron were equipped with a sophisticated security system that could only be unlocked by their own unique genetic signatures. He stowed away the communication device and clicked the strap handles together. The pack made a soft chiming noise to indicate it was now locked.

Stepping back into the hall he heard Kim ask, "You've been to Disney World three times? That's awesome!"

The girl was standing outside their door now. She pointed to Ron and demanded, "Who's that?"

"Jennifer, this is Ron. Ron, meet Jennifer."

"Hello, Jennifer. It's nice to-"

"Jenny, are you out here?"

The three of them turned to see a woman in her thirties walking toward them.

"Jenny, I told you not to wander off like that. And why are you bothering these people?"

"She wasn't bothering us at all," Kim assured the woman. "We were having a nice talk about hotels."

The woman seemed to find that doubtful. "Jenny, I'm still trying to light a fire under your father and brother so they don't waste this entire vacation. Now, go downstairs and wait for us in the lobby."

As Jennifer started off, her mother gave them each a tight smile. "I _am_ sorry. With that girl, if it's not interrogating total strangers, then it's sliding down... Jenny! You better not be... "

The woman started to run down the hall, but Kim made her look like she was standing still. When Ron got to the top of the stairway landing he saw Kim was bent forward over the banister so that only the lower half of her body was visible and there was no sign of Jenny at all.

In a strained voice, Kim said, "Uh, Ron, a little help here. Can't get leverage... "

He moved closer to look over the railing and saw that Kim's left hand was locked on Jennifer's wrist and this was the only thing preventing the girl from falling a dozen feet to the floor. Ron instinctively threw his arms around Kim's upper torso, realized he was touching her in an inappropriate place, make that two inappropriate places, and hastily pulled his hands away.

Kim's right hand began to slide along the banister with a squelchy sound as she was pulled farther over the rail. "Ron, so not the time to be a gentleman!"

More of her midsection was above the rail now so Ron could wrap his arms tightly around her stomach and stop her from moving forward any more. And with the help of the girl's mother, they quickly had Kim and Jennifer back on their feet.

After a series of fierce hugs and a fiercer scolding, the woman turned her attention back to Kim. "Thank you so much! I can't tell you... "

Ron saw Kim fight the urge to give her patented 'It was no big.' Instead she said simply, "You're welcome."

They watched Jennifer be dragged back down the hall while her mother repeatedly threatened to tell the father all about this latest 'escapade'.

"Oh my god. That was amazing."

Ron turned to see the young woman who had checked them into the Inn last night walking up the stairs. "I saw the whole thing from down there. The girl starts to slide down the banister and before I can get out a single word she flips over and it looks like she's going to do a header right onto the lobby floor, but then you appeared out of nowhere and then instead of falling she was just floating peacefully and... and... " She paused to take a breath. "And if I ever used a run on sentence like that when I was at Chilton, somebody would have had to call EMS."

Kim returned Rory's smile, barely. "Chilton is a school, obviously. But I thought you said you went to Yale."

"I go to Yale now. Chilton was before that. Anyway, Ms. Pendarvis-"

"Call me Kim."

"Yeah, me too," Ron blurted out.

That earned him a look from his best friend who said, "If she called us both Kim I think that could get confusing. So how about she calls you Ron?"

"Yeah, heh heh, that works too."

"Okay, Kim and Ron - my name is Rory by the way - I'm very glad to meet you both. Again." She pointed her finger at him. "And I'm still trying to remember where I know you from. But anyway, on behalf of the Dragonfly Inn, I want to thank you very much for what you just did. That could have turned out very badly - but it didn't. And as a small token of our appreciation, the management would like you to know that there won't be any charges for your meals here during your stay with us."

Kim's smile was more genuine now. "Thank you, Rory. That's very generous of you."

"Actually, it's generous of _her_." Their gazes moved in the direction indicated by Rory's outstretched arm where another woman was just reaching the top of the stairs. "This is Lorelai Gilmore, the owner of the Dragonfly Inn."

The newcomer walked up next to Rory and put an arm around her but even without that gesture of familiarity, Ron would have known there was some sort of biological connection between the two. Both were tall and shapely with long auburn hair and dazzling blue eyes. Ron thought from the first that Rory was movie star pretty, but Lorelai was every bit her equal in terms of physical attractiveness.

Rory adopted an accusatory tone as she told the woman, "You missed all the excitement. The little girl in Room 7 just found herself on the wrong side of the banister right there-"

"And the Connecticut Bar Association charter bus just pulled up?"

"And Kim and Ron Pendarvis, the new guests in Room 4, rescued her in a spectacular fashion. If Superman were here to see them in action, he'd be switching to green tights out of sheer envy."

Kim said, "Your sister is exaggerating a little here."

"Daughter," corrected Lorelai.

" 'Daughter'?" repeated Kim. "Oh."

"Yes, we tried the sister thing but the vows of chastity never made it past Prom Night."

" 'Prom Night' " repeated Kim in a confused voice.

"Mother... " said Rory, disapprovingly.

Lorelai looked from Ron to Kim. "Mr. and Mrs. Pendarvis, on behalf of everyone here at the Inn I want to thank you both for what you've done. As a small token of our gratitude, I'll arrange that there be no charges for your meals while you're with us."

"Ah ha!" said Rory. "I already told them that. "

"Good work. Put yourself down for a raise."

"All right. And just what is ten percent of nothing?"

Ron turned from Rory to Lorelai. "Free food is welcome at any time, but when it's Sookie St. James who is doing the cooking, it's _really_ appreciated."

The two Gilmores exchanged looks and Lorelai asked, "Do you know Sookie?"

"Only by reputation, although we do have friends in common at the CIA."

Kim turned suddenly toward Ron. "The what?"

"The Culinary Institute of America," supplied Lorelai. "That threw me the first time I heard it, too."

"Right. Any chance I might get to meet her?"

"I'd really like to accommodate you there, Mr. Pendarvis-"

"Ron."

"Ron. But apparently she is going to be off the job indefinitely."

Ron felt Kim move close to him and heard her venture, "I hope it isn't anything serious."

"All I know right now is that a 'family situation' has come up."

Kim gave him a covert poke.

_Is that to make sure I caught the word 'family' or does she… Oh, wait. How could I forget? _"Um, Mrs. Gilmore. I won't pretend for one second I am a chef in Sookie's class, but I do work in a restaurant back home and I know my way around a kitchen, so if you find yourself short handed this weekend, I'd be glad to help out in any way I can."

She studied his face for several seconds. "Was your mother's name Teresa?"

"Enough with the nun jokes already," said Rory.

"OK, first off, please call me Lorelai. Second, you are a guest of this inn. Third, you just helped prevent another guest, a little girl, from a serious injury. Fourth, you're on your honeymoon and your new wife is gorgeous enough to make me want to rethink this whole straight and narrow path I've been leading..."

He felt Kim flinch slightly at that.

"I couldn't possibly impose on your generosity like that," Lorelai concluded.

"Well, okay," said Ron. "But I'll leave the offer out there in case you change your mind."

When they were halfway down the stairs, Kim shot a quick glance over her shoulder and leaned closer to him.

"Ron, that was awesome! I see now you planned the whole cooking gig in advance, but how did you know this Sookie person was going to disappear?"

He was tempted, very tempted, to claim it was all going according to his carefully crafted scheme, but those words wouldn't come. "I didn't, KP. My idea was to approach Sookie as an ardent admirer - nobody is immune to flattery, right? – and then after we have a connection, I squeeze her for info on cousin Amy. But like you just saw, nothing is going to come of it now."

"We don't know that for sure. Anyway, a favor offered can still earn a reward. And it's impressive that you put all that effort into researching the role."

"Well, I have been brushing up on my cooking knowledge. But how did you know?"

"Ah…" Suddenly Kim linked an arm around one of his and yanked. "C'mon. The dining room is that way. Let's get in there before I pass out."

They were seated at the last free table. Ron studied the voluminous menu for several minutes, then looked up to see Kim frowning over hers.

"Too many choices, KP?"

"Not exactly what I was thinking."

Ron decided she was probably looking forward to a nice conventional breakfast just like her Mom would make. "Well, if you don't see anything that appeals to you, just order what you really want. They'll make it, no problem."

"Why don't I just ask for a kiddie menu?" she asked peevishly.

_Okay, the hungry cranks have finally caught with somebody. And the other somebody at the table knows better than to say that out loud._

She was staring down at her menu, her right hand pressed against her forehead as if to shield her face from his scrutiny.

"Kim?"

"Yes?" she responded without looking up.

"Do you trust me?"

Even with her head tilted downward, he could see the corners of her mouth quirk. "With my life, yes. With my stomach, I'm not so sure."

"I have a challenge in mind."

That got her attention, as he knew it would. She raised her head a few degrees while sliding the glasses down her nose, the better to impale him with her fixed gaze. Ron thought if he was to ever date a woman as beautiful as Kim and she sent him a smoldering look like that, he would spontaneously combust.

"Go on," she said, with a somewhat husky quality to her voice.

"I pick out your breakfast and if you don't like it, then I help you study tonight as long as you want."

"Huh. Interesting. And if I do like it?"

"Doesn't matter. You can't resist a challenge no matter what the prize might be."

She opened her mouth as if to protest, then nodded reluctant agreement. Kim held out a palm and bent the fingers until they were perpendicular to the tabletop. "Bring it on."

It was just after 10:30 am when Kim set her fork down on the plate and wiped her mouth with a linen napkin. Her eyes casually moved from face to face until she had looked at every person in the dining room, save one.

Ron recognized the significance of her actions and smiled. "So, Kim, how was breakfast?"

She met his gaze with an almost sullen look and a slight lift of one shoulder.

"My shruggish is a little weak. Does that mean you liked it or not?"

"Did you really think I would like something with duck eggs, pork sausage, apples, and manicotti cheese in it? That sounds more like an emetic than an omelet."

"What's an emetic?"

"Umm, I'll tell you later." She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for some unpleasant task. "I didn't like what you picked out for me, Ron." Measured pause. "I loved it! That was the most amazing breakfast I've ever had. (Sorry, Mom)."

Ron pumped his fist once and silently mouthed, "Boo-yah!"

Kim watched him for a moment. "That's it? No shouts of triumph, no victory dance on the table?"

"Nah. We'll save that for when I ace things again at lunch and dinner and-"

Even though his best friend's emotional state had been somewhat erratic so far this weekend, he should have known her essential Kim-ness would not allow her to indefinitely accept the idea that he was her superior, at anything.

With a forefinger aimed at his face she snapped, "Look Ron, you got lucky once this weekend, but don't push it and try for two." As soon as the words passed her lips, her eyes got wide. In a softer voice she said, "That sentence could be totally misinterpreted."

"Oh, hi again, Lorelai."

"That is so not funny, Ron." She glared at him a moment longer and then uncertainty touched her features. Kim glanced over her shoulder and then her head snapped forward again. In an instant her cheeks reddened as quickly and as darkly as he had ever seen it happen.

_What's her deal? Didn't want anyone to know I ordered for her?_

Lorelai considered the hands covering Kim's face for a moment, then turned to Ron. "So, I hope breakfast was good."

"Fantastic," Ron assured her.

They both looked at Kim again and she managed to set her palms down on the table and give a tight nod of agreement.

Lorelai gestured toward the well-dressed man beside her. "This is Michel Gerard, the manager of the Dragonfly."

"Glad to meet ya," said Ron.

"How do you do?" Michel returned.

Ron had assumed he was African-American but there was a definite foreign inflection to his words.

"Can we sit?" asked Lorelai.

Kim finally found her voice. "Please do. You, too, Mr. Gerard."

"I do not believe our business will take that long," he said stiffly.

Lorelai began, "So, what big plans do the newlyweds have for today?"

"But obviously, I was mistaken," murmured Michel.

"Nothing concrete," said Ron. "We'll probably wander into town first. Then maybe out into the countryside. Kim is really big on outdoor sports."

"There are some books and fliers on hiking trails in the library."

"Sounds great," muttered Kim, her face almost back to normal.

Michel edged closer to his supervisor and rumbled, "Lorelai…"

"Umm, Ron, Kim. Do you remember how about thirty minutes ago I said we wouldn't dream of imposing on you two?" She paused to move closer to them and lowered her voice. "Well, the fickle finger of fate blah, blah, blah... I have since been reminded that one of our local health inspectors actually has relatives staying at the Inn right now and we expect her to show up at any moment."

"And it won't be easy to get a replacement for Sookie in here on short notice on a holiday weekend?" asked Ron.

"Exactly."

"But I don't understand, Lorelai." Kim waved to a few of the closer tables. "Food is still being prepared and ours, at least, tasted great."

"The problem isn't with meal preparation. Sookie has a terrific kitchen staff and they have no trouble following her recipes. The complication is that in our county there is a requirement that said kitchen staff be supervised by a chef with a culinary accreditation of class two or higher during peak meal times. Now, we have done a little internet research on Ron-"

She noticed the two teens exchange looks of concern.

"Just to make sure your Ohio credentials are compatible with ours," Lorelai added hastily. "And it appears that they are."

"How soon do you need me?"

"About three hours ago, actually."

"Then let me run upstairs for a few minutes to take care of a couple of things and then I'll be right back down. Kim, did you hear? I'm going to work in the kitchen of Sookie St. James!"

Lorelai said earnestly, "Kim, Ron, I- I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

"No big," Ron assured her. _It's okay if I say it. I hope. _

Once they were out of the dining room, Ron leaned over to whisper, "The Stoppable dumb luck strikes again."

"Dumb skill," Kim corrected him with a smile.

"Kudos to GJ for putting false info on the web about the other me."

"Yeah, well, they've been doing this a lot longer than us."

"I guess. Sure wish I could be with you for the meet with the informant, though."

"Tell you all about it, after I know the details myself."

They took the stairs at a run, and as soon as they were behind the closed doors of their room, Ron snatched up his case and brought it over to the bed.

As he began to paw through the contents she asked, "What are you looking for?"

"Cell phones."

"Well, I have mine. And you told me you lost yours. Again."

"Not ours, the ones GJ gave us."

"Ron, you _so_ cannot lose any of the stuff they give us on this mission!"

"Okay, Kim, okay. Ahhh! Where are they?"

She put her hand on his arm. "Go finish up in the bathroom. I'll find them."

"Yeah, but…" He looked at her, then at the contents of the bag.

"What? Afraid I'll see your unmentionables? Several years too late for that worry." She grabbed a pair of his boxer shorts at random. "Didn't these go on display on that last mission against Dementor? And for some reason I associate this pair with our middle school graduation ceremony."

"They're not the same pair! They just look similar." As Ron headed for the bathroom he grumbled, "It isn't healthy to dwell on the past, you know."

He left the bathroom door open so Kim walked in to join him a few minutes later. Eyeing the cloud of toothpaste foam covering the lower half of his face, she waved imaginary pom-poms and called out softly, "Go Mad Dogs."

Ron cupped his hands under the running faucet and collected enough water to rinse his face. "I see you found them. Good."

"It wasn't hard," Kim said. "I just had to stop looking where you told me they would be and check your backpack."

"Oh, yeah. Umm, anyway, the two phones are linked. The first speed dial listing for each will call the other phone. I think most of the other names in the directories are fakes but if you select 'Aunt Betty' it connects you with a GJ operator. And that's your password too. You need to be in the town square at noon. Look for someone-man or woman-holding a lime green drinking cup. Say anything to them to initiate a conversation as long as Aunt Betty is part of the first sentence."

"Got it." She checked her watch. "Looks like we both need to roll out."

He was still engaged in drying his face and hands so Kim reached out to push one of the phones into the front pocket of his jeans. That brought the conversation to a halt for a long moment until he said, "Right. Time's a-wastin'. We'll catch up with each other as soon as we can."

Suddenly there was an impish grin on her face. "Okay, honey. Have a good day at work!"

* * *

"What's the matter, doll? You lost er somethin'?"

Kim turned in the direction of the deep, raspy voice and was surprised to see a woman rather than a man had addressed her. "I think I got turned around somehow."

"That's all right, suga'. You just tell me where yer comin' from and where ya wanna go and we'll get you back on the right track."

Kim found herself smiling down at a thickset woman of about sixty who barely reached to her chin but still managed to have a voice better suited for a Brooklyn cab driver. "That depends. Are you speaking philosophically or geographically?"

"Oh ho. Listen to the big words comin' outta that pretty face. Yer a tourist, honey, cuz I'd remember meetin' _you_ around town. Where ya headed?"

"Town square, please."

"Right. I shoulda known. Well, you are headin' in the right direction, suga'. But ya need to go left at the corner. Two more blocks from there and ya can't miss the square. Got it?"

"Got it."

"'Course, ya could just follow Harry." She pointed to a large panel van approaching from Kim's left. "He's headin' to Doose's Market and ya could just follow him. The market is right offa the square."

"Oh, okay. But why's he driving so slow?"

"Cuz it's Saturday."

"There's an ordinance?"

"No, Harry is goin' slow cuz he ain't in a hurry to finish his deliveries."

"I see," lied Kim after an awkward silence.

The woman smiled and tapped her finger against the borrowed wedding ring Kim wore. "Yer married, honey, you know the to-do list kin get pretty long by the end of the week."

"Gotcha," said Kim, resisting an impulse to ask if Harry's last name might be Stoppable.

"Where ya stayin', doll?"

"The Dragonfly."

The woman gave a satisfied nod. "Best choice ya coulda made. An' I'm not just sayin' that cuz the owner's my next door neighbor."

"Mrs. Gilmore? Really? Well, it certainly is a small town you have here."

"Lorelai ain't a Mrs. She never was and now it looks like she never will be, poor thing."

Kim waited a moment to see if further explanations might be offered, then thanked the woman and set off after the panel van.

Following even a slow-moving vehicle for several blocks might have taxed the stamina of most but Kim wasn't even breathing hard as Harry pulled into an alleyway behind Doose's Market. She expected him to exit the truck and walk into the store to announce his arrival, but instead he suddenly shifted gears and began to move in reverse.

Unfortunately, a man carrying a large cardboard tray filled with paper bags chose that moment to cross between the alley and the loading dock.

Kim shouted a warning but her words were drowned out by the motor's roar. She darted forward and threw her arms around the man's torso so she could pull him out of harm's way. When his shoes were back on the pavement again, he turned around to consider her. His eyes traveled from her face, her figure, their immediate surroundings, and then back to her face. "How the hell did you do that?"

"Um… adrenaline?"

"I'm probably twice your weight and size but you just picked me up completely off the ground and carried me for what, ten feet?"

"Yeah, good job on not dropping the food. It smells great, by the way."

"Come around to the diner and try some for yourself."

"Oh, okay. But I wasn't hinting for anything." Her gaze drifted to his thick, tousled brown hair. "You had a hat, didn't you? And there it is." She struck his baseball cap against her thigh a few times and extended it in his direction. His hands were still full with the cardboard tray so he lowered his head toward her. "There you go."

His eyes flicked upwards briefly. "The other way."

"Backwards? Really? Ah, okay, there. That _does_ look better."

"I'm Luke. Luke Danes."

"Kim Po- Pendarvis. And if you're the Luke who owns the restaurant here, you will be seeing me sometime this weekend for sure. We've heard some good things about the food you serve."

Luke Danes was a tall, well-built man in his forties, one Kim placed unreservedly in the hottie column, despite him being days overdue for a shave and wearing clothes better suited for a construction worker than a business owner.

"It's a diner, not a restaurant. Right down on the square."

"The square? Right." She checked her watch. "Gotta go, Mr. Danes. See you around." With a smile she added, "Or at least I will if you start paying more attention to your surroundings."

Kim put on a burst of speed and reached the town square while it was still nine minutes to twelve. It wasn't a particularly impressive sight. The park-like open area at its center was no more than 20 yards across and none of the commercial buildings located around the edge of the square were even as big as her home back in Middleton.

_Am I just being jaded here? It is hard to be impressed with a small town like this when you've seen each of the world's ten largest cities and most of the top twenty._

The early arrival allowed her time to to walk around the streets that lined the square. She almost missed Luke's Diner because it seemed to share the same building as a hardware store. Weird combination, she decided, but maybe such arrangements were more acceptable in a small town. Peering through the front window she saw the diner was small and quite full at the moment. Of course, it was the lunch hour.

The diner was on a corner and Kim crossed over at the intersection where the town's only traffic light was located. There were about a dozen people in the square itself but the number would be fluid because some of them were just walking through to get somewhere else. Other than the walkers, Kim saw children playing, adults conversing, a couple making out, even a shaggy-haired man with glasses strumming an acoustic guitar. That sight, at least, would have attracted some attention back in Middleton but here no one seemed to notice.

So far she saw no one holding a lime green drinking cup, so Kim decided to do a bit more wandering. She soon found herself standing before the town's welcome sign. _Let's see here, Stars Hollow is more than twice as old as Middleton, but only has about one-tenth the population. Still, I don't doubt there are more similarities than differences between the two communities._

Her gaze moved back in the direction where she had seen the local high school._ I'm sure they have a food chain over there too, lorded over by their version of Bonnie, someone inflicting misery on everyone who doesn't measure up to a series of arbitrary standards. Of course that system goes back a lot farther than the Bonnies of today. Human beings have been handing out winner and loser labels from day one._

_The real question is, why do I accept it? It's evil, and it causes human suffering. And instead of fighting it, I'm a charter member. Ron was so right last night. I still obsess over what other people think about me. Everything has to fit that narrow gauge of acceptability, whether it's clothes, activities, boyfriends - whatever. You want help in overturning that system? Don't hit my website._

Kim noticed that the make out couple had left the gazebo in the center of the square and were walking in her general direction. Studying them covertly as they approached, she saw they were even younger than she had first estimated, certainly no older than she and Ron. _Well, what they lack in maturity, they make up for in amorousness. It's pretty obvious what activity is in their immediate future._

As soon as they passed her location, Kim headed for the now vacant gazebo. From that position, she could keep an eye on the entire square. She pulled the backpack off her shoulder, set it down on one of the wooden benches inside the gazebo, then seated herself next to it. Another futile scan of the area and then a look at her watch. 12:12. Perhaps too soon to give up on the meeting, but things were looking more doubtful.

She retrieved her personal cell phone from her pant's pocket. _It isn't _so _early back in Middleton. Besides, it's been almost twenty-four hours and I just don't want to put this call off any longer._

One ring.

Two.

"Hello?"

"Monique? Kim. Hope I'm not calling too early."

The voice was thick with sleep but the words were as reassuring as she could have hoped. "No, GF. It's cool."

"No work today?"

"Uh uh. First Saturday off since the dawn of time… cards."

"Spankin'. Got plans?"

"No, but since you're back from the mission, how about we-"

"Love to, but this one's still ongoing."

"Really. And you get time to make calls?"

"There's a little downtime before the main event."

"Where are you? Can you spill?"

"Probably shouldn't." _In fact, I probably shouldn't be using my personal phone at all, and I wouldn't even have it with me if Wade were on the job._

"So, Monique, I wanted to get your take on somebody."

"Who's that?"

"Bobby Johnson."

"PPRI."

"Ah, okay. That means… um… I actually have no idea what that means."

"Pretty packaging, rotten interior."

"Got it. And how long did it take you to arrive at that opinion?"

"I was momentarily distracted by the dimples, so I reluctantly admit it was a full fifteen minutes."

"He is a real bas- a real piece of work, isn't he? So how come for weeks now I've been praising his wardrobe, laughing at his jokes, and raving about his ideas like they'll reverse global warming?"

"Um… YMMV?"

"Your mileage may vary. And apparently it did, but why?"

"Hormones, girl. It gets all of our brains slippin' gears at one time or another."

"Argh! Haven't they come up with a cure for those yet?"

"Well, I hear there _is_ a quick fix but it comes with a strongly worded parental disapproval rating."

"And it does me no good anyway because yesterday he made it very clear I'm not on the list of girls he'd be interested in... fixing."

"Oh, Kim. I mean even by teenage boy standards, that's harsh. Please tell me your response was closed fist rather than open palm."

"The idea tempted me like no Club Banana sale ever could. But I fought it down. Eventually."

"Why?"

"Uh, how about the school rule against Public Displays of Aggression for starters?"

"That didn't save those bullies in 'D' Hall."

"That was different!"

"Yeah, because that was for Ron."

"Well, I-I'd do the same for you."

"Okay, Kim. So, continuing this morning's theme of looking for love in all the wrong places, guess who I spent forty-seven minutes with last night?"

"Male or female?"

"I don't know if that question says more about me or you. But the _boy_ in question was Brick Flagg."

"Interesting. Details, please."

"I get off my shift last night and am heading for where I parked Mom's car when I see him wandering up and down the rows."

"Forgot where he parked again?"

"You know the boy too well. So while we're searching, we have a nice convo. I'll just give you the highlights here: sports, teachers, sports, homework, sports, TV, sports, sports on TV, sports that aren't on TV but should be… Oh, and he thinks he might be losing his hair. As if! Anyway, we finally come to the conclusion that he walked to the mall."

"That happened to him once at a gas station, too. Good thing you get sports."

"First time in years I didn't regret having a brother too big to fight the remote over."

"Did you drive him home?"

"Seemed like the thing to do."

"Walk him to the door?"

"Yeah, now you're goin' all pit-bullish on me."

"Sorry. Let's see, you and he have two classes together that I know of…"

"Whoa, rein in there, cowgirl. Brick is a nova class specimen but nothing is going to come of this."

"He and Bonnie are broken up."

"I know. I gave that news to you three days ago. Kim, I'm not sure there's anything between us except ESPN trivia and it really doesn't matter. With all the flunking he's done, he's gotta be close to twenty and that's just not gonna be cleared for landing at airport dad."

"Thunk," said Kim. "Uh, that was me dropping the subject." She sighed and asked, "What is wrong with the two of us, Monique? We are almost seniors in high school and between us we've had, what, a dozen dates?"

"Rephrase, girl. What's wrong with the boys around us is my question."

"Okay, if that helps. There was one good thing to come out of the Bobby J. sitch."

"Yeah?"

Kim hesitated, then said, "A solemn vow I made to myself to never, _never _ask a boy to go out with me again. Maybe they'll come to me, maybe they won't. Maybe even as we speak they are stenciling my name on a convent wall someplace."

"Father's Day is coming and research shows that is the most requested gift."

"Yeah, well, even so, this girl will not lead with her chin anymore."

"I guess there's something to that."

"You don't sound like you're ready to sign the same pledge, though."

"Don't think I better. We may be floating down the same river, but at least there's a life preserver next to you."

"Huh?"

"Hey, listen girl. My legs are starting to make like a pretzel so we need to snip this."

"Oh, okay." _Was that bitterness in her voice there? Resignation? What gives?_

"And Kim?"

"Yeah?"

"If you get any more downtime this weekend, maybe you could listen to that song I emailed you."

"I did pack my player so I could do it. No, I _will _do that, GF. I promise."

"Coolio. See you Tuesday. And good luck with the rest of the mish."

Kim closed up the cell and placed it back in her hip pocket. It was now almost half past twelve and the square was still empty of lime green drinking cups.

_I am so out of here!_

But even as she was lifting the backpack to her shoulder, the Kimmunicator emitted its familiar four-note summons. She seated herself again and hurriedly retrieved the electronic device.

"Wade?"

No. It was a woman about forty years old with short russet hair and a patch over one eye who had appeared in the view screen when Kim hit the accept button.

"Wade's still at the Conference for the Gallifrey Virus so I thought I'd check in with you myself." Betty Director gave Kim a quick smile. "The disguise is excellent."

"The Ron factor strikes again."

"So, how are you doing?"

"The informant never showed. What do you think that means?"

"Kim, I'm about nine thousand miles from your position and will be leading an assault on a secret WEE base in 17 minutes. I'll let you and Ron deal with the local situation."

"Right. Of course."

"So, you're good?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"For one thing, you've been keeping up a pretty hectic pace so far this year. Thirty-nine dangerous missions so far, that I know about."

"People needed my help and I like helping. It's a win-win." The leader of Global Justice responded only with a nod, which prompted Kim to add, "And then there's the whole Moodulator sitch. You did hear about that, I'll bet."

"It's my job to hear things, Kim."

"So now you're wondering if it fried my brain and I can't handle this kind of work anymore."

"If I was thinking that you'd still be in Middleton."

"Okay then, why the concern?"

"Because I… care."

Kim felt all the irritation drain out of her in an instant. "Um… that sounds like a real liability in your line of work."

Betty Director nodded, then held up a finger as another uniformed Global Justice operative leaned into camera view and whispered something into her ear. "Kim, there's less time than I thought here, but I wanted to go over a few things first. To start, it's probably not a good idea to bring your personal cell phone while on an undercover mission."

"Uh, understood. Won't happen again."

"Okay. Moving on to the reasons you and Ron are there."

"Meaning more than one?" asked Kim.

"I wanted you to experience Stars Hollow. It holds some happy memories for me, and maybe you'll gather a few of your own before this weekend is over.

"But do not lose sight of the mission objective. DNAmy needs to be recaptured and sooner rather than later."

"Because of her freelancing?"

"Exactly. In the past when she needed money, Amy has taken work for hire and hasn't shown much concern for the danger to public safety her genetic mutations could cause."

"So we have to get to her before any criminal organizations can?"

"Or terrorists."

"That would not be good," said Kim, her brain suddenly filled with thoughts of an incurable bio-engineered plague being released on an unsuspecting world.

"We will be sending some of our latest information to you via the Kimmunicator. Hope it proves useful. Good hunting, Kim."

"And good luck to you," the teen replied, but she was too slow and the view screen had already switched back to the KP logo.

* * *

The confidential informant was a local businessman named Taylor Doose. Armed with his home address and two different work locations, Kim set off with a renewed purpose but at each stop she heard the same thing. Taylor was out and no one knew where he was or when he would return. Stymied once again, she decided there was nothing else to do but head back to the Inn and hope Ron was making better progress.

Kim found herself looking around in an uncertain manner. She was getting pretty good at navigating the commercial district of the town but returning to the Inn would take a little more deliberation.

"Hello, Ms. Pendarvis. How are you finding our bustling metropolis?"

"Oh. Hi, Rory. Everybody has been very nice so far."

"But you would be having a better time if your husband was with you?"

Kim smiled and shrugged.

Rory asked, "Do you want me to call Mom and get his parole date?"

"Maybe in a little bit. But right now I am kind of on a… mission. A friend of mine knows Taylor Doose and I don't dare leave town without passing on her regards. Any idea where he might be now?"

"Did you try the market?"

"Yes."

"The Ice Cream Shoppe?"

"Yes, and his house."

"Well, you could always try Weston's."

"That another of his regular hangouts?"

"Not really, but that's where I was headed and maybe we'll see him there, or see someone there who knows where he is. Are you hungry?"

"Uh… a little."

"Then it's settled. You let me treat you to something-"

"You don't have to do that."

"Kim, I am feeling two things right now, hunger and guilt over how your honeymoon is going. If we go to Weston's and I can buy you something, I will be doubly assuaged."

_If Ron was here I just know he would say, 'That's a school word.'_

Rory took her sudden grin as acquiescence. "It's right this way."

As soon as they stepped through the door to the Weston Bakery, Kim made a soft moaning noise. "Oh man, does it smell good in here."

"They're not too bad to eat, either."

At the counter Rory ordered a coffee and three muffins. Kim thought it was rather presumptuous for her to decide what _she_ would get but then Rory turned to her and asked, "What looks good to you?" To Kim's questioning look, she added, "Hey, it was the eyes _and_ the appetite that I got from my mother."

"I think the first one you mentioned, Orange Spice, sounds great."

"Right. Coffee?"

"Just a water, please."

Rory turned back to the woman behind the counter. "I guess that's it." She handed over a few bills. "Oh, Mrs. Allison, have you seen Taylor around today?" When the woman shook her head, Rory gave Kim an apologetic smile and murmured, "We'll find him."

"Sure. Hey, I better grab us a table."

"The one in the corner looks good."

When they were both seated and their food laid out on the table, Rory said, "So, Kim, Ron is a chef."

"Yes, a very good one. Do you know he actually taught a cooking class while he was still in high school himself?"

"Impressive." Rory picked at the toppings on one of her muffins. "I've never had a man cook for me but I have to think that would be very… stimulating."

_I will not blush. I will not blush. _"Well, actually, he doesn't cook for me all that often." _Make that never. _"I mean, the last thing a person wants to do when he works in a restaurant all day is to come home and cook some more, right?"

"Right."

Kim took a big bite of her muffin and gave Rory a thumbs up sign.

"What about the beard?" asked Rory. "I never kissed a guy with a beard before."

"Umm… the beard is relatively new. But I have no complaints about it. I think it's a good look for him."

"Definitely. But I bet without it, he'd seem just like a kid again."

"Yeah, probably. Rory, is it just my imagination here or do we seem to be devoting a lot of attention to my love life?"

"I apologize, Kim. I guess I miss my boyfriend more than I thought."

"Did you two break up?"

"No. He had to take a job in London. I really don't know when I'm going to see him again."

"I'm sorry." Noticing the sudden sadness that came over her tablemate, Kim decided to offer her a distraction. "I actually have a friend in London right now."

"Oh? On a vacation?"

"No, attending a conference on the Internet."

"Brainy girl, huh?"

"Guy. And yes, he's pretty high up on the IQ register. I'd suggest he and your boyfriend look each other up, but frankly, my friend's people skills are kind of hit and miss."

"Sure."

"So, Rory, is it a long drive to Yale?"

"Not too bad. But I'm back home for the long weekend, trying to spend more time with Mom."

"She's having romantic troubles?"

"Yes, but how did you… "

"I ran into a neighbor of yours earlier today. She implied there was going to be a marriage but it didn't happen."

"That would be Babette. And she summed things up pretty well. I wonder if that's another reason I was sort of fixated on your situation. I wanted to know that someone, somewhere in the world, was happily in love."

_I'm so not the person to give you that kind of reassurance. _"It's okay, Rory. No problem. So, the man your mother almost married, a good guy?"

"Very. In a lot of ways, Luke has been more like a father to me than my own dad."

"Luke? Luke Danes?" _Okay, could this town _get _any smaller? _"I also met him today. Now I understand why he was so preoccupied."

"I suppose it's hitting him pretty hard, too. If you ever wanted a modern day example of Jack London's soul mates, it would have been Mom and Luke." She took another sip of her coffee. "So, you see now why I'm spending as much time as I can with my mother these days. But this is just a long weekend, not spring break, so come Tuesday morning I will… I will…"

She set the cup down with a thud. "Oh My God! That's where I know Ron from! Spring break in Florida! He was there, right?"

"Last year, yeah."

"I thought it was a couple of years ago, but maybe not. He had a hairless gerbil thing with him?"

"That would be Ron, for sure. I was there too, but I know you and I had not met before last night."

"No, you weren't there when I saw him. He was with two of my Chilton classmates, Madeline and Louise."

The teen smiled. "I hope they let him down easy."

Rory fingered the rim of her coffee cup and said nothing.

"Were they mean to him?" Kim asked, confused.

"Ah, probably we should let this drop."

"But what happened?"

"Kim… I don't think we - uh, you two were dating back then, right?"

"No, we weren't. We were on a family vacation together."

"Oh. Then I guess I can tell you they weren't mean to him. Far from it."

"You must be mistaken here. Ron plus college girls - two college girls - just doesn't compute."

_All right, Kim. Think. You know it didn't happen like Rory believes it did. So what's the real sitch? It's true I didn't spend a lot of time with Ron on that trip. Drakken and Shego showed up and they had to be smacked down. And then there was all that bonding I did with Nana. Could this explain that last night in Florida when Ron was really late in getting back to the hotel? He acted very strange, but every time I asked him what was up, he just kept changing the subject._

"Wha- what were the names of those two girls again?"

"Louise and Madeline."

"Pretty?"

"And prettier."

"You definitely saw Ron together with them?"

"Well, together as in sitting at the same table in a restaurant."

"And?"

"And then walking into their motel room."

"What about after that?"

"Kim, uh… this wasn't an Eyes Wide Shut moment for me."

"Okay."

"But I know what they told me the next time we met."

The interior of the bakery suddenly became a watery blur and Kim had to force words out of a very tight throat. "I think I'm going to go now."

Rory reached across the table to lay a hand on her arm. "Kim, wait. I know I have really messed up here and you probably want to put a lot of distance between us, but I can tell you from bitter personal experience that this town may be small, but you won't find a spot that offers any real privacy for several blocks."

Kim lowered herself back on to her chair. "Napkin, please."

She laid the glasses on the table and dabbed at her eyes. "I'm sorry, my emotions have been so totally whacked these last few weeks."

"Of course," Rory said sympathetically.

"But this, what I'm feeling now, isn't just exaggerated emotions. It makes no sense at all. We're supposed to be friends. There are boundaries between friends. Territories you don't cross into, topics you don't dwell on because they don't mean anything to the friendship."

"The friendship you two had before things got serious?"

"Right. Before."

"How far back does that friendship go?"

"Preschool."

"That's amazing. I thought that kind of thing only happened on TV."

"Yeah, and you know, back in second grade, I'm the one who explained the facts of life to him. Not his parents, me."

"Uh huh."

Kim took a deep breath. "Okay, all better. Wigging session is officially over."

"All right. What do you want to do now?"

"Maybe another round of Taylor hunting?"

"Sure, and then?"

"And then I sit down and have a little talk with that husband of mine."

* * *

(More Authors' Notes: Continuing from the end of Chapter One…

The Gallifrey Virus mentioned so briefly in this chapter is named by me but was created by Russell T. Davies. It will play a significant role in a Kim Possible fan fic I hope to write someday.

All of the characters and concepts borrowed by me for use in this story are used without permission of the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	3. Public and Private

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**3. Public and Private**

Saturday Afternoon:

"All right," announced Lorelai Gilmore. "I can say without fear of contradiction that I have never talked for so long and in such detail about mass-produced breakfast pastries before with anyone."

"But the book idea, you think it's got potential?" asked Ron Stoppable.

"I told you I'd buy a copy. In fact, get it out before the end of the year and this Christmas will be pain free for me."

"Yeah. I did say that 1001 Things To Do With Pop-Tarts was just a working title, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did. But really, anything else would just be settling."

"Y'know, you're right. I'll save the clever wordplay for the sequel."

"Sequels, my friend."

"I like the way you think, Mrs. G." He stared out the passenger window of her Jeep Wrangler for a moment to watch more Connecticut countryside pass by. "Of course before I sit down to write a book, I should probably read a few more of them."

"What, cable not reliable where you come from?"

"Now I'm not saying that the printed page has _no_ interest for me. I mean I did read a biography of Martin Smarty. Twice."

"The idea of being a self-made billionaire appeals to you, Ron?"

"Well, yeah. It may be hard to believe but I had money once. Maybe not billions but enough to take care of me and mine for the rest of my life. It's all gone now, but I had a taste of the good life once and that kinda thing never completely leaves you."

Lorelai took her eyes off the road for a moment and met his gaze. "That's number five for the list."

"Really? Okay, so we have only child, parents with affection issues, aversion to healthy food, freakish knowledge of TV trivia, and a too, too short exposure to wealth. Any other similarities between the two of us? And don't tell me again that we both think Kim is hot."

They exchanged smiles to show neither was being serious and then Lorelai asked, "Does she share your attitude about money?"

"Ironically, no."

"Ironic, how?"

"Because Kim could make money, real money, in like a hundred different ways. She's got the brains to make it in any profession she might choose, business or medicine or whatever. And sports, if she applied herself, if she cared about things like that, she could break every record in the books. And as for looks and talent, well, I can name plenty of models and singers and Hollywood actresses that wouldn't have a chance competing against her."

Lorelai shook her head sadly. "Such bitter disillusionment from one so young. I give it a week at the most."

"A week?"

"For the marriage to last."

"Right, the marriage." _Man, I will not be getting used to that concept any time soon. How could anyone actually accept the idea of Kim and me being married? For a lot of people, believing that she would even have me as a friend is hard to swallow. _

"So, Ron, tell me again why I am driving a young man on his honeymoon to a hotel about fifty miles from where his wife is staying?"

"We're just playing a hunch here, Lorelai."

"That's a new way to put it."

Ron turned in her direction. _Lorelai jokes around so much it's hard to know when she's actually being serious. Is she really starting to have second thoughts about going off alone with me? Does she think this is some kind of scam to... be with her? Oh boy, if this doesn't work out, I am so busted._

"Excuse me," Ron said as he pulled out the Global Justice cell phone. He pressed the button that would connect him with the GJ operator.

The response was almost instantaneous. "Hi, Ron."

"Melissa, hey. Things still looking good?"

"No, Ron, I lost all the information you gave me so we couldn't do any of the traces you requested."

"What!"

After an agonizing pause, Agent Harvey stated, "Just kidding. Target is definitely there. And you are almost on site yourself. Do you request backup?"

"Umm, no. And thanks, Mel." _Come back soon, Wade. We miss you!_

Ron returned the phone to his pocket and looked over at Lorelai. "We're close now, aren't we?"

She lifted a hand from the steering wheel and pointed to their left.

If the Dragonfly Inn represented one of Connecticut's finest lodging establishments, the Nutmeg House could be safely placed at the opposite end of the scale. Its cinder block walls needed painting, there was an algae stained tarp over the outdoor pool, and the phrase 'Hourly Rates Available' was posted in three different places.

Lorelai pulled into the motel's pothole studded parking lot and guided her Jeep to a space far from any of the dilapidated vehicles visible from the road. Her eyes made another survey of the area, then locked on to his. "You know, Ron, I like to believe I'm a pretty good judge of character but apparently that is yet another thing that has deserted me lately. I hope those shoes are comfortable to walk in because it's a hell of a long way back-"

The sentence came to an abrupt end as she noticed something through the window beside Ron. Lorelai put the Jeep in drive and inched forward until they had an unobstructed view of a late model minivan. "That's Sookie's car."

"Yeah." _Boo-yah! _

"So she's here?"

"Well, I don't know _that_ for certain. But her cell phone is here, and her credit card was used to pay for the room."

Lorelai took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Ron, I don't think you'll actually need to walk back to Stars Hollow today."

"Good. Exercise is something I don't particularly enjoy."

She smiled. "Remember the list of things we have in common? I think we just got number six."

* * *

_It seems like a year since I last saw him, not just six hours. _Kim got up from the chair in the office where she and Rory had been waiting. Of course Ron looked different to her somehow, but she was expecting that. The mental image she had created of him and had maintained for the last several years was gone, shattered, and the broken pieces hadn't yet formed into a new pattern.

He greeted her with a broad grin from the doorway but it started to slip as she moved closer and closer to where he stood. Although very much aware of being watched by Rory and Lorelai, Kim kept her attention focused only on Ron. Her arms extended to envelope him and she brought her face up to his. She saw his eyes widen in surprise and perhaps he would have spoken, but the press of her mouth against his made that impossible. His lips seemed paralyzed, though, and he returned her hug as if she were made of spun glass.

_Hello! We are supposed to be newlyweds here but I think even the Tweebs have kissed me with more feeling. I know I'm not a curvaceous college girl but- _

With a start, Kim pulled her head back and patted her palms against his shoulders until he lowered his arms.

_Focus on the mission, Possible! It's the only thing that matters right now. _

Kim put an arm around his waist and turned toward the office door. "Hey, Lorelai. I hear this guy has been dragging you all over the State of Connecticut."

"Yeah, this guy," the older woman paused to place a hand on his shoulder, "this guy should only travel in the company of Fred Foy. Quite the mystery man you've got here."

_Tell me about it, lady._

"I mean you get fooled by the boyish facade and then bam! he blindsides you with a piece of deductive reasoning worthy of Columbo."

" 'Columbo' ?" repeated Ron. "I suppose we have the same fashion sense, but couldn't I be compared to somebody more... dangerous? More in keeping with my physical prowess?"

"How about Nancy Drew?" suggested Kim.

Ron gave her a look at that, but there was more curiosity than irritation in his expression.

"Will somebody please tell me what happened," pleaded Rory. "And where is Sookie?"

"Sookie is now with the State Police," answered Lorelai.

"What? She's been arrested?"

"It's protective custody," said Ron.

"And I repeat, what!?"

Lorelai stepped the rest of the way into her office, closed the door behind her, and faced her daughter. "I never told you before but Sookie has a female cousin with a criminal record."

"What for?" asked Rory.

Lorelai looked at Ron. "I heard the official name for it, but, ah... "

" 'Trafficking In Bio-hazardous Material' is what one of the troopers called it."

"Is that like being a mad scientist?" When her mother nodded, Rory added, "Well, at least it's nice to see women branching out into traditionally male professions. Is Sookie supposed to testify against the cousin?"

"No, she's already been convicted and was serving a long prison sentence."

"But she escaped," said Ron.

"And then," continued Lorelai, "it gets a little confusing. Either the cousin called Sookie and asked her for help in hiding from the police, or someone else contacted Sookie and warned her that Amy-that's the cousin-might try to reach her. Either way Sookie panics-"

"Oooh, 'Sookie panics', what are the odds of something like that happening?" asked Rory.

"Yeah," said Ron. "It was great to actually meet her today. But she talks really fast, and sometimes the words kinda come out in a jumble."

"Yes, well, any conversation with Sookie that starts out with 'Were you followed here?' is probably going to lack coherence," said Lorelei.

"Mom, how long will she be away?"

"Indefinitely. Sookie is one of her cousin**'**s few living relatives and the police think there is a strong possibility Amy would try and make contact with her at some point."

"So Sookie is going to be taken to some sort of safe house for the duration?"

Lorelai pointed at Ron. "Ask the expert."

"I'm not an expert, Mrs. G. On anything."

Despite her conflicted feelings toward Ron at the moment, Kim had to admit he was showing an admirable sense of modesty about what had happened this afternoon.

Lorelai said, "You're the one who figured out that Sookie was hiding from something, and then you tracked down _where_ she's hiding."

"Yeah," said Rory. "How does a cook from suburban Cleveland know about this kind of thing?"

"Like I explained to your mother, about three times now, my dad was a cop."

_A little wishful thinking there, Ron?_

"And lots of cops eat at the restaurant where I work. You pick up things and you earn a few favors. I called one in today and it all just happened to fall into place. So, Lorelai, looks like you're going to be short handed in the kitchen for a while longer yet... "

"That situation has been rectified. So I want you, and you," she pointed from Ron to Kim, "to get out of here and start enjoying each other's company."

"Hear, hear," said Rory.

Ron put an arm around his best friend's shoulders. "Well, if there is one thing this gal has taught me over the years, it's to always heed the voice of female authority. We'll catch up with you ladies again tomorrow."

Neither teen spoke as they walked through the first floor of the Inn and then up the stairs to Room 4. When the door was closed and locked behind them, they let go of each others hands but remained standing quite close.

"So, KP, what's the plan now?"

_Did his eyes just flit over to the bed as he asked that? No way! Or maybe they did but it was just an unconscious acknowledgement of the activity that Lorelai and Rory no doubt believe we are about to engage in._

Kim shook her head in an attempt to clear out the disturbing mental images that had suddenly come, rather, returned to her. "I don't know. Let's sit down and figure it out."

She took the chair farthest from the door and pulled off her glasses. She was idly playing with the hinge on one side of the frame when he said, "Your eyes look a little red. Are those things starting to bother you?"

She froze in place for a moment and had to will herself to reach over and place the glasses on the table between them. "No. At least I don't think they are."

"Maybe you should leave them off for a while to be sure."

"Okay." _Kim, you have this idea that he is just totally oblivious to everything that goes on around him, but clearly that isn't always the case. Like those times I've accused him of not listening to me, only to have him repeat verbatim what would amount to whole pages of dialogue. And how about after the Zorpox sitch when he spent at least fifteen minutes advising Wade (Wade!) on ways we could improve the team's security procedures against Drakken._

_So, anyway, he just reminded me of Florida, albeit unknowingly. Is now the time to ask him about that? Will there ever be a good time? _

She was still debating the idea when he spoke. "It's weird, Kim, but I really missed you today."

"You did?"

"Yeah, I know it was just like six hours but it seemed to drag. That's goofy, huh? I mean last year I spent a whole week away from you when I was in Japan, so today should have been nothing."

"Goofy. Yeah. But, Ron, I have to tell you, I, uh, I... think you did pretty well without me today."

"The Sookie thing? You know, even if the Gilmores don't, that there was no skill or brainpower involved in that one."

"Sell yourself short if you want, Ron. But you got results today and I didn't."

He drew in his breath sharply. "The informant! I completely forgot about that."

"Never showed for the meeting. I got a name and some addresses but so far no luck in making direct contact."

"Doesn't mean a thing, KP. We've still got two full days to get things settled here."

"Yeah, and if we don't? What if it gets to be Monday evening and Amy is still on the loose?"

"Won't happen like that, Kim. Listen, Wade's the super-genius, but you are the one who gloms out the bad guy schemes before they can happen. Always have, always will."

To cover her feelings of pleasure at his praise she asked, "Is that a real word?"

"You mean 'super-genius'? I don't think I ever actually looked it up but-"

"Glom!"

"Yeah, you know, KP, I really don't see myself as the top entomologist in the room right now."

"Why not? You speak fluent cockroach."

"Well sure, I can get along in most of the Western and Middle Western dialects, but here in the Northeast I couldn't even pretend to be a native speaker."

Kim had opened her mouth to give him a true definition of the word 'Etymology' when a shiver suddenly ran down her neck and back. She got to her feet and stared down at him.

"KP?"

"I, uh... " She pointed toward the bathroom. "I'll just be a minute."

Kim placed her shoulders against the door and moved backwards until the latch clicked. Still leaning against it, she put the fingers of her left hand to her lips and exhaled through her nose. _I saw it happen this time. I mean I've suspected that sort of thing before but now I'm positive. I just had a glimpse into the inner workings of Ron Stoppable's mind. He inadvertently used a word I didn't know, and realized it would irk me, especially on a day when I basically got shown up by him mission wise. So he went into, well, buffoon mode, to distract me and make me feel less stressed out. And it worked. Almost. It has certainly worked in the past. I thought it was just villains he was good at distracting but it looks like he's even better with his best friend. How long has he been doing that kind of thing, anyway? Is it even a conscious action on his part? If it was anybody but Ron, it would be scary about how well he knows me. _

When Kim emerged from the bathroom, she saw Ron still in his seat and now staring at... nothing except a blank space on the wall. "Bueno Nacho Buck for your thoughts?"

A look of pain came over his features. "Ouch. That's twisting the knife."

"Say what?"

"On the way out to get Sookie we passed like three of them."

"I see. Well, what's the closest one to Stars Hollow?"

"There's none within walking distance."

"Okay, so we take a cab."

He considered her through narrowed eyes. "Would Global Justice be paying for that cab?"

"No, it's not mission related. But I have money so let's do it."

"We're talking like fifty bucks for the round trip."

"So? I've got it. It'll be your Memorial Day present."

"Yeah, well, I say we forget that idea."

"Then you come up with something."

"How 'bout the hamburger place the cab driver told us about?"

"Luke's. Hmm. Y'know I could really go for a nice burger right now. Good thinking."

"Isn't that why you married me? For my brains?"

Kim was glad to see the sparkle return to his brown eyes. "Nah, it was just for the money. Remember our talk last night?"

"I remember," he said, smiling. "Not ever gonna forget that one."

"Ditto."

"Okay, so, if we're about to take off, I'll just... " He jerked his thumb in the direction of the bathroom door.

"Right." Kim took a look around the room. Yes, their backpacks were still there in the corner. She opened hers and pulled out the schoolbooks within. No reason to haul them all the way to the diner and back.

Ron exited the bathroom just as Kim was placing the books on the table.

"Don't worry," she told him. "I haven't forgotten about our breakfast deal. These are just for me."

"That wasn't a fair contest, KP. You missed dinner the night before so anything would have tasted good to you this morning."

"And so?"

"And so I want to help you study tonight."

"Ron, I appreciate the offer but I gotta wonder if you're doing the right thing for the wrong reason."

"Meaning what?"

"I know this change of heart about school work is just for my benefit. But it can pay off for you, too."

"I guess," he said in an utterly unconvincing tone.

"We're almost seniors, right? Have you given any thought to what happens after that?"

"After high school ends? Yes, actually I have."

"Good. What?"

"I tell Barkin what I really think of him."

"Riiiiiiiight. And after that?"

"I run."

Kim sat down on the bed. "C'mon, Ron, work with me here. High school is beginning to wind down. It's time to start thinking about the future, as in college. I don't know, maybe you just thought that when we graduate, poof!, this thing we've got between us is just going to vanish. Well, I don't see it that way. We did preschool, elementary school, middle school, and high school together, and I'd kind of like to add college to the list. But, guess what, the girl who can do anything, cannot, repeat, _cannot_ get you into college by myself. It is going to require hard work on your part. Lots of hard work.

"Now don't you tell me you're not capable of it because you so are. Anybody who can put up with my competitiveness, obsessive people pleasing, glory hogging, and all the other faults I could name, for as many years as you have,_ is_ a hard worker, even if they don't know it.

"So please don't blow this, Ron. Because if I have to go off to college without my best friend, I am gonna have a mad on so much worse than any Moodulator could ever cause." Kim let herself fall back into a prone position on the bed. It was distressing to give way to yet another emotional outburst. But deep down she knew the real reason she was now staring up at the ceiling was because she was afraid to watch his reaction to her words.

The silence that came over the room was intense and prolonged. At one point Kim opened her mouth to speak and then realized she had no idea what to say. And apparently, he was having the same problem.

How long things would have continued like that she would never know because in the absolute stillness the sudden growl of his stomach came with surprising volume.

Kim shifted to her side and propped her head on her upturned palm. "I heard that. They probably heard that down in the lobby. When did you eat last?"

"Uh, feels like it was around February."

She rose to a sitting position. "Then let's get out of here."

"No," he told her with unusual resolution in his voice. "Not yet."

"Why not?"

"You just used the 'M' word, KP. For the first time in twenty-two days. I thought there was an unspoken agreement between us not to mention that thing or that night ever again."

Kim tried for a frivolous tone. "Well, if it was unspoken, how was I supposed to know about it?"

He didn't return her smile.

"Okay, then. Moving on. Ron, I see now the not talking part was a mistake. We both got freaked out about what happened, although not for the same reasons, I'm sure." She shot him a quick look, then resumed her careful appraisal of the bedspread pattern. "For me, the scariest part was not being in control of myself. Kimmie's gotta be in charge. You know that better than anybody. But I wasn't, and if it was anybody but you who had become the crushee for this thing I... I... "

_I'd be out shopping for home pregnancy kits right now. _

"Well, I just don't know what would have happened. So anyway, what do I do when it's all over? A total 180 degree turn around. Emotions were the problem before, so now I don't let myself feel anything. I become like those aliens on Space Passage. No emotions. And now after three weeks of that, it's all catching up with me. I'm overreacting to things, because the feelings I had been bottling up are leaking out at all the wrong times."

When he didn't respond immediately she stretched out a leg so the tip of her shoe touched his knee. "C'mon, give me some feedback here. You have an advanced degree in Kimology. Does that make sense or not?"

"The part about being out of sorts for the last few weeks definitely does. Anybody could see that. But the holding in of your feelings, haven't seen so much of that since 'M' day."

"Trust me on this one, Ron. If you knew what kind of bizarro thoughts have been popping into my head since then, especially this weekend, you'd run screaming into the night."

"What does Cyrus Bortel say about it?"

"Yeah, you'd think the inventor of the Moodulator would be able to answer a few simple questions about how the thing works and how long the effects last, wouldn't you? Wrong! Nothing that guy says makes any sense."

"Really?"

''Here's an example for you. According to Bortel, the side effects of wearing a Moodulator will be 'minimal' and 'very brief in duration' but three weeks later I'm not finding that to be the case." _How does Ron know about me calling Bortel, anyway? Well, he doesn't _know_ exactly, he couldn't. He's just assuming. And as long as he doesn't hear how many times I called him, it's cool._

She watched him thoughtfully stroke his false beard with a thumb and forefinger as he considered her words. _He looks so good when he does that. Could I maybe get Wade to invent something to let him grow a real beard? What am I thinking? Bizarro is so right. _

"So, Kim, at first I thought it was a good thing that no missions came up right after all this happened. But now... "

"Now it's starting to make me wonder if, when things finally get rolling, that maybe my... "

"Martial Arts mojo has deserted you?"

"Yeah. I mean it's not a paralyzing fear or anything, but for a while now, in the back of my mind, there's been that little tickle of a worry."

"Won't be like that, KP. When biscuit kicking time finally comes, you will be mondo-awesome. Better than you've ever been before."

"I wish I could be so sure about... "

Kim couldn't finish the sentence. Instead she made a choking sound and quickly turned away from him. _Not the time, Possible! Suck it up. Hold it together. It was bad enough with Rory, do not let Ron see you... _

Something trickled down her cheek and she put her hands up to her face. _What is wrong with me? Nothing I say or do or believe makes sense anymore!_

A new series of barely suppressed sobs made her body twitch and she sank face first on to the bed. The still rational part of her brain told her he had risen from the chair but his destination was a mystery. _Probably going to lock himself into the bathroom until the waterworks are over. _

Even as that unflattering thought occurred to her, she felt his hands touch her shoulders. His fingers and palms began stroking and squeezing her flesh through the light sweater she wore. Somehow his tone was as casual as if they were strolling through the Middleton Mall. "Y'know, Kim, I've been thinking. Shego got one of those Moodulator things the same as you. And we haven't seen her or Drakken since that night. So, the way I figure it, either they killed each other, or maybe, just maybe, they have come to an understanding... "

In unison the two teens called out, "Ewwww!" and this was immediately followed by a chorused, "Jinx! You owe me a soda!"

Kim sat up and let out a sudden laugh which caused a snot bubble to emerge from one of her nostrils.

Ron plucked a tissue from the holder on the table and handed it to her. "Good try, KP. But that _other _mental image still takes top honors in the hurl-a-thon." As she wiped and blew her nose, he added, "Although what you just did _would_ have made a great background photo for your web page."

He easily skipped out of the way of the kick she aimed at him, then turned to give her a small, warm smile. "Mondo-awesome, KP. You'll see."

She sniffed. "You willing to bet your life on that?"

"Oh, yeah," was the immediate reply.

Kim had to turn away from him for another moment and take a few deep breaths. Then in a very soft voice she said, "Uh, I guess I haven't totally caught up on my sleep yet."

She recognized that as a particularly pathetic rationalization for the crying jag but she knew he wouldn't call her on it.

"Sure. So we'll head out for Luke's and then back here and make it an early night. We can leave now or whenever you're ready." The emphasis he put on the last sentence told her he would listen to whatever explanation she was willing to give him, but he wasn't asking for one.

"Now's good," she murmured.

"Okay." Ron stepped over to the spot where they had laid their backpacks. He pulled one of them off the floor and put his arms through the straps.

"That's mine," said Kim, as she tossed the wadded tissue into a trash container.

"I know. The one _without _the gorchy smell."

"Smells," she corrected. "So if you knew, why'd you put it on?"

"No reason. You want it back?"

"It's no big. You hang on to it. Just stay close, okay?"

"Close. Got it."

Kim opened the door and started to exit the room. Then she remembered something else she wanted to tell him but her sudden reversal in direction caused them to run into each other.

Ron made a sound like 'Oof' but didn't back up and they stared at each other from a distance of barely a foot.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

"Nothing. I just remembered something else I wanted to say." He still made no move to back up so Kim leaned out into the hall to make sure no one was in sight. Facing him again she said softly, "I know I took you by surprise with what happened in Lorelai's office a little while ago. That probably didn't make for a very believable performance. Hopefully they will just chalk it up to... inexperience. But there is no point in going undercover if you can't give a convincing portrayal of your role."

"Right."

"So consider yourself warned that at other times during this weekend it may be necessary to repeat that sort of behavior."

"Understood," he assured her.

There were times when Ron Stoppable had an incredibly expressive face. And then there was now.

"Any questions?"

His impassiveness gave way to a broad grin. "No questions. But hey, KP, let's make a quick stop downstairs before we head into town."

"What for?"

"Well, I want to show off my badical new wife to the kitchen crew for one thing."

"And for another? "

"If I don't get some kinda snackage to tide me over, I'm gonna be DOA at that diner."

* * *

(More Author Notes: Lorelai and Rory Gilmore are the creations of Amy Sherman-Palladino and are featured in the television show Gilmore girls.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

These characters are used here without the permission of the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	4. The Diner

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**4. The Diner**

Saturday Evening:

"Hey, Ron. Hold it a minute."

The request was just a formality. Kim Possible was walking hand in hand with her best friend through a residential section of Stars Hollow and when she came to a stop, he would have no choice but to do the same.

"What's up, KP?"

Kim held up her right hand and crooked a finger at him. Ron Stoppable immediately stepped forward until their bodies were almost touching.

_I can't fault the boy for his ability to follow directions. It's in initiating one of these husband/wife interactions that he falls short. _

She placed her forearms on his shoulders and maneuvered them in a quarter turn to his right. She brought her face close to his, close enough for her lips to brush the false beard he wore, then shifted her attention to the side of his head. With her mouth barely an inch from his ear, Kim whispered, "The house directly in front of you is where Sookie St. James and her family live. Rory pointed it out to me earlier."

His body gave a slight twitch as he said, "Okay."

"I'd like to take a closer look at the house."

He shivered again.

"Maybe even go inside but-"

More twitching.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he said even as his body went through a new set of tremors.

"Is this some kind of Bueno Nacho withdrawal symptom?"

"No. It's... it's just a little ticklish when you whisper like that."

Kim pulled her head back so she could give him a cool look. "Are you about done?"

He breathed in and out. "All right, yes."

She brought her mouth back to his ear, counted to three, and then repeated, "Wisp, wisp, wisp," until he was jerking frantically in her arms.

Between high pitched giggles he managed to say, "Kim... stop... nooo... "

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that ear was so sensitive. Maybe I should try... this one instead!"

Ron put his hands on her waist and tried to push her backwards but couldn't break the grip of her arms around his neck. "No... Kim... you... better quit... Kim!"

A sudden note of urgency in his voice caused her to step back and show him her palms.

He panted, "Something almost happened here for the first time since-"

"Tuesday?"

"Wednesday. Remember I got the king-size Slurpster."

"Yeah. Think we'll still be doing incontinence jokes when we're seniors, Ron?"

"A thing to be fervently hoped for, KP. Although in another fifty, sixty years that topic might hit a little too close to home."

"I meant seniors in high school. But... there's something to be said for your time-line, too."

They exchanged shy smiles, then he asked, "Anyway, you sure you want to start a tickle war with _me_?"

"And why not with _you?"_

"Because, KP, I'm the only one who... uh... oh, never mind."

"The only one who... " she prompted.

"Forget I said it, Kim. It was stupid."

"Yeah, you don't want to explain, then you don't have to. Too bad you're so hungry though, because I'm taking nothing but baby steps until you do."

Some mental debate occupied him for several seconds before he told her, "I was going to say that I'm the only one who knew about your secret tickle spot, but that's probably not true anymore."

"Yes it is. You think I'd ever tell anyone else about that?" She pointed a finger at him. "And you are not to spill that to anybody. Ever. Guard that knowledge with your life."

"I do. I will," he said, his features brightening noticeably.

_Yes, Ron, you are still the only boy I ever let tickle me. Is that what he really thinks goes on during a date? Actually, he just might since to my knowledge he has never been on one himself._

_Wait a minute! What was Florida if not the mother of all dates?_

"Ron, Rory and I did a lot of talking while we were waiting for you and Lorelai to get back."

"That's cool. What about?"

"Things."

"Such as?" When she didn't answer right away he asked, "Was it about Yale?"

"'Wha-"

"Kim, tell me she's not trying to get you to go to Yale! Yale, KP? You might as well just go to an all-girls school! No, actually I'd have more of a chance if you did because I could fake that better than-"

Kim put her fingers up to his mouth and gently pressed until he fell silent. In her most soothing voice she said, "Glaciate, Ron. She didn't try to get me to go to Yale or any other university. All that we talked about was... girl stuff. And right now it's not that big a deal. So let's get a move on and hit the diner before it closes."

He nodded and smiled. She saw his hand twitch at his side but he didn't lift it up until she started to extend her own toward him.

Although darkness was descending rapidly, Kim managed to navigate their way to the town square without any missteps.

"Hey, this is nice," said Ron, eyeing the decorative lights gleaming from storefronts and trees.

"Yeah." Kim looked left and right. "There. That's Luke's."

The diner was less than half full now so the proprietor immediately noticed when Kim and Ron entered. Luke Danes set a plate down in front of a customer and then walked over to the door. "You made it."

"I said I would. And I brought my husband Ron along." _Wow. For the first time in the nearly twenty-four hours of our 'marriage' I was able to say that without stumbling. _

"Luke Danes."

Kim's best friend shook the hand offered to him. "Ron Pendarvis. How are you?"

"Good. You know this is quite a lady you have here."

"Hey, I've known that since before she _was_ a lady." Ron turned to Kim and missed the puzzled frown Luke gave him. "Have you already been here?"

"No, but I met Mr. Danes in town earlier."

"Yeah, it's just Luke."

She gave him a smile. "Right. I'm Kim."

"So, dude, they tell us you are like the primo burgermeister in these parts."

"Yes," added Kim. "And then we ask for an English translation."

Luke glanced from one teen to the other. "I'll get a couple of burgers going on the grill and you decide for yourselves."

"Sounds great," said Kim. "Okay if we just sit at the counter?"

His hand made a gesture of approval and once they were seated he leaned closed to say, "Whatever you two want today, it's on the house."

Kim gave him a smile of thanks to which her best friend added, "Gracias, moan amy."

When Luke had disappeared into the back, Ron asked in a low voice, "Okay, Kim, what'd you do? Save him from having a piano drop on his head?"

"Something like that."

"Man, are you a cheap date." No sooner were the words out of his mouth then a look of alarm came over his features. "No, not a date, I mean, uh-"

"Just chill, Ron. It's no big."

_Well, I can't chalk that one up totally to the infamous Stoppable Overreaction Syndrome. It was just like a month ago that we went together to his cousin Reuben's wedding and when he slipped and referred to that as a date, I was pretty harsh in the way I set him straight. And then there was the time back when we were sophomores and he said it was possible that someday we could date. I basically told him that was crazy. _

_Of course before either of those things happened, Ron had used a bullhorn - a bullhorn! - to announce to the whole freakin' school that we were _not_ dating. Out of all the things Ron has done over the years that ticked me off, why does that moment stand out so prominently?_

Before Kim could answer the question, Luke returned to ask how they wanted their burgers.

"Medium for me," answered Ron. "Triple cheese. Lots of onions, half sautéed, half rare."

"Yeah, medium is good. Lettuce and tomato, too, please."

"Right. Coffees?"

"No. Just whatever kind of sodas you have."

Kim watched Luke return to the kitchen, then looked over at Ron and saw he was staring straight ahead, lips compressed, hands idly playing with the condiment bottles near him.

_Great, now there's a thing between us. I so do not want that now. Not on an important mission like this. Not when I am dealing with post Moodulator issues. And especially not when things are going so well between me and him__**. **__I mean, even if you forget thirteen amazing years of friendship, the things he has said to me and done for me this weekend alone make him somebody I want in my life for a long time. _

_A very long time. _

_Always. _

_I don't know why, but I never associated the 'A' word with Ron before. I didn't think there was a specific expiration date for our friendship, but I didn't give much consideration to the post school sitch either. _

"I have the burgers going," Luke told them as he set their drinks down on the countertop. "Anything with them?"

"No," said Ron.

"Yes," said Kim. She gave her best friend an appraising look, then faced Luke. "Do you have chili fries? Okay, please bring him a double order. Extra cheese on top."

Kim held her glass out in her right hand and Ron clinked it with a weak smile.

_Well, that's a little better. But the dating issue never seems to go away completely. It remains the only real speed bump on the Kim Ron friendship trail. _

_Man, did Ron totally flake out when things kicked off with Josh Mankey. Sabotaging my run at class president. Trying to hook me up with Brick. Very uncharacteristic behavior for him. I don't believe either was a conscious reaction to me dating, but they certainly show his inner turmoil at the thought of losing what we had. Over time, he realized that Josh would never replace him as my best friend and things settled down somewhat. Still, the nastiest fight ever between us was because of a date with Josh. Maybe I was giving out a few too many of the gooey details, or maybe, no definitely, I had literally risked my life in leaving the house that night, but he said things to me the next morning that I'd never heard from him before or since._

"Kim," Ron whispered. "Why aren't you eating?"

She looked down and saw her burger was there before her. How long it had been there she didn't know, but at least it was still hot. And really, really good. She gave Ron an appreciative nod, and did the same for Luke when she noticed he was looking in her direction. He gave back a barely perceptible incline of his own head and returned to the kitchen.

_I don't know a whole lot about that man but get the impression he doesn't smile very much. I wonder if that's just the way he has always been or it's his sadness over the breakup with Lorelai Gilmore. Rory called them "soul mates" and I'm betting she didn't get that phrase out of an animology book. I don't know exactly how she means it but it sure has a nice sound to it. _

Kim looked over to Ron who was busy attacking the small mountain of chili fries before him.

_Some people would say we are 'soul mates'. My parents claim there was a special connection between Ron and me from the very first day we met. Yeah, but even a super friendship is not the same as romantic love. Jack London's soul mate was his wife and Luke and Lorelai apparently came pretty near to getting hitched before it went south. For me and Ron, our 'marriage' ends in an amicable annulment two days from now and we go back to Middleton as 'just friends'. _

_Unless of course we chose to consummate the relationship before then... _

Kim was taking a drink from her soda when this last thought emerged into her consciousness and this caused her to gasp and swallow at the same time. A coughing attack followed which prompted Ron to begin striking her on the back. Six blows came, each more forceful than the one before, until she had regained the power of speech.

"Stop, stop, I'm okay," she told him in a strained voice. She glanced over her shoulder and saw, as feared, that every customer in the diner was staring at her. Looking up at Ron, she whispered, "Sit, sit."

Kim faced forward and took a tentative sip of her drink. "Better."

"Honey, are you sure you're all right?"

To her left Kim saw she was getting a concerned look from a heavyset woman of about sixty who was wearing a leopard fur print wrap.

Kim forced a smile. "Something just went down the wrong way. But I'm fine now."

"I'm glad to hear that because you didn't look so good there for a minute. Excuse me. Luke!"

"Just a minute, Patty," came the distant reply.

Kim took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"You have the body of a dancer," the woman told her.

"Oh, okay." _Is that the polite way of saying too skinny?_

"Have you ever done any professional dancing?"

"No."

"You might want to give it some thought, honey."

"S-sure," replied Kim.

Ron must have picked up on his best friend's uneasy body language and decided a distraction was called for. "Are you a professional?"

"I was. Three hundred and seventeen Broadway appearances."

"Badical," he replied. "Would I have seen you in anything famous?"

"It's possible. How old are you?"

"Uhh... "

_Okay, who is rescuing who here? _Aloud Kim said, "He just had a birthday and is also kind of forgetful. Ron's twenty-three."

"And what was the last show you saw?"

"Uhh... "

Kim patted his arm. "We are going to have to do something about that memory of yours, sweetheart. I've seen a few Broadway shows myself. My mother is a huge theatre fan."

"And how long have you two been married?"

_Okay, that's a rather abrupt transition. _"Not that long." Her dark, insightful eyes prompted Kim to reluctantly add, "Since yesterday."

"I thought so." The woman waved bejeweled hands in the air. "There's this intensity you two are giving off." She paused, and added with a frown, "But it's being restrained somehow**.**"

"Really," said Kim in an almost inaudible voice while making a point of avoiding eye contact with Patty or Ron.

Fortunately the older woman was distracted by the reappearance of the owner. "Luke, where have you been?"

"In the back, doing inventory. You want your usual?"

"Yes, please."

Luke set a coffee cup in front of the older woman and turned to the two teens. "What else can I get you?"

"Maybe another soda," said Kim.

"Yeah, I'll take one of those," agreed Ron. "And the name of the place where you get your coriander. It's Turkish, isn't it? Puts your burgers right over the top."

"I can fill all those orders," said Luke, stepping out from behind the counter to tend to the customers at tables.

Kim wanted to tell Ron that once again she was impressed by his cooking knowledge but words like that didn't come easily for her and she felt even more inhibited by the knowledge that Patty was sitting about two feet away. So she settled for a poke to his side and a whispered, "Way to go, Ron."

He smiled back his thanks but said nothing, apparently feeling the same way she did about the older woman's proximity.

_Well, if we can't ignore her presence, maybe we can take advantage of it. _"Umm, excuse me, ma'am. Is it right that you live here in town?"

"Yes, I do."

"So you would know a man named Taylor Doose?"

"Oh, yes."

"He is a friend of a friend of mine and I'm supposed to pass along a message to him before I leave town. But I haven't been able to catch him at his house, the market, or the ice cream store."

"I haven't seen Taylor at all today, honey. But if he's away from his usual haunts, he might be off somewhere with Kirk."

"Kirk?"

"The town's odd job man."

"Emphasis on odd," muttered Luke as he walked past them.

Patty said, "I didn't realize Taylor was missing but I know Kirk is."

Kim said, "That sounds kind of ominous."

"Stars Hollow missing is not like big city missing," Patty assured them. "They'll both turn up."

"Well, how do you know this Kirk is missing?" asked Ron.

"His girlfriend has been asking about him around town." She raised her voice to ask, "Luke, has Lulu been in here asking about Kirk?"

"Twice," came the out-of-sight reply. "I told her just to count her blessings and move on."

Patty smiled at the two teens. "So says the town curmudgeon. And speaking of blessings... " She got up from her stool and moved next to Ron. "You have my second husband's hands."

"Okay, that sounds like the title for a horror movie," remarked Kim.

"Nothing horrible about it," Patty assured her, taking Ron's left hand in both of hers. "So big and powerful and yet so gentle."

Kim wasn't sure if the words referred to Ron or the husband, but it was definitely her best friend whose hand was being stroked and caressed. From the alarmed look on his face, Ron was not enjoying the woman's attentions, but no realistic rescue plan presented itself to Kim's mind.

"Uh, Patty?" Luke held up a large Styrofoam container. "You do realize this is the only thing you're leaving with tonight?"

The woman sighed dramatically. "Yes, I had my day." She took Kim's hand and placed it in Ron's. "And now it's your turn. Enjoy."

As the woman paid for her food, the two friends considered their clasped hands and shrugged mutual confusion.

After Patty had left the diner, Luke told them, "I'd apologize for her, but she's actually one of the more sane people in this town."

Kim gave Ron's hand a quick squeeze and they let go at the same time. "Hey, you visit a small town, you expect small town eccentrics."

"That's a charitable way to put it." Luke ran a thumb along the underside of his whiskered chin and turned to Ron. "I'm wondering if that coriander business was just a fluke."

A big grin came over the teen's face. "Try me."

"I'll do that," said Luke. "But it'll take a few minutes. Anything I can bring you now?"

"Well, since you asked, that apple pie over there has been calling out to me ever since I got here."

"Ron! You're gonna put the man out of business."

Luke lifted up the glass cover and set a tin holding two thirds of a pie down on the counter between the friends. "It's an inventory night and this is on the list of things that have to be tossed if they're not eaten." He must have read hesitation on her features because he added, "I can't send anything home with employees because I gave everyone the night off. And the food bank in Hartford doesn't accept out-of-town donations on a holiday weekend because they don't have enough storage capacity."

"Okay," said Kim reluctantly.

"Okay," said Ron enthusiastically.

The pie tasted great, but Kim stopped herself after eating the equivalent of a medium-sized piece. In part this was because she didn't want to get overly full when she was technically at least on a mission. But more than that, she wanted to see Ron happy. And clearly from the sounds coming from him, this pie was making him very happy.

Luke returned just as the last of the pie was disappearing. "Does he always eat like this?"

"Only when he's awake," Kim assured him.

A plate holding a hot dog was set before each of them.

"Nothing on it," said Ron. "You taking pity on me? My burger was loaded up and I still managed to tell you about the spices inside it."

"You want something on this, just say so."

Ron smiled, not just with his lips but his eyes as well. "If it isn't too much trouble I'd like chili, onions, half raw and half sautéed like before, and, of course-"

"Cheese?"

"I think he's starting to see a pattern here, Ron."

Luke turned to Kim.

"Better leave mine as is. I'm not sure I have even an extra centimeter of room."

After Luke had returned to the kitchen, Kim picked up her hot dog and brought it close to Ron's face. "You sure you don't want even a nibble before yours gets all jacked up?"

He made a slashing gesture in the air. "No need, KP."

_Oh man, do I love it when he is confident and self-assured like this!_

Ron gave his hot dog a careful appraisal when Luke brought it back. "I prefer a few more onions, my man. But I'll make do." He picked it up, sniffed it, eyed Luke dispassionately, gave Kim a quick grin, and then took a huge bite. They watched him chew and swallow as if this was the stuff of high drama. He rubbed a paper napkin against his mouth and took a big drink of his soda. Setting the cup down again, he let out a satisfied sigh. "It's good."

"All right," said Luke.

"But what's in it, Ron?"

"It's kosher meat. And of course I'm getting the chili powder from the toppings."

"Even I could have come up with _that_," said Kim.

"Well, there are the usual spices you find in hot dog meat, salt, garlic, paprika, and powdered onion. But the surprise ingredient here is a touch of... "

"You're not gonna get a drum roll, Ron. Just say it."

The teen held out an upturned palm. "Tarragon."

Luke gave him the faintest of smiles and nodded at Kim.

She threw an arm around Ron and squeezed. "Ultra-badical!"

He gave her right hand a pat in acknowledgement.

_A kiss would probably have been the more expected response between a wife and husband for a moment of triumph like this, but it's too late now. If I stop to think about what I'm going to do, then I get too self-conscious and can't follow through. Maybe acting isn't my calling. Oh well, it's not like Ron was looking forward to more kissing anyway. To him, the pretend affection is just another mission related obligation, like a parachute jump or a sewer crawl. _

_Okay, hopefully he would enjoy it a little more than the latter, at least. _

Luke cashed out the last group of table customers and then it was just the three of them in the diner. "Anything else I can get for either of you?"

Ron swallowed another big bite of his hot dog. "Kim will tell you I don't say this very often, but I think I may be approaching the full mark." He reached out and started to pull her plate toward him. "In fact, this will probably do it."

"Hold it, mister! I'll let you know when you get to touch something of mine. Er, food wise, I mean. And I'm going to have at least one more bite before the rest gets sent to that black hole you call a stomach."

Kim resumed eating so Luke turned to Ron to ask, "Where are you two staying?"

"The Dragonfly."

_Don't mention Lorelai, Kim mentally commanded him. Do not refer to her in any way._

A look of sadness might have passed over Luke's face, but if it did, it was very brief. "Do they still have the mini fridges in each room?"

"Ours does," Ron told him.

"Okay, I'll be back in a minute."

Kim wiped her mouth and slid her plate along the counter. "I have hit it."

"You sure?"

"Painfully sure."

Ron scooped up her hot dog and devoured what was left of it in two bites.

Seeing that somehow made Kim think back a decade or more to when they would happily share whatever treats they possessed, whether they be ice cream, candy bars, suckers, even on one notable occasion, a single stick of chewing gum.

"Hey, Ron? Do you remember in Third Grade when we went on a field trip to the Middleton Pickle Works?"

"Well, kinda."

"For some reason we were trying to gross out Bonnie so we, uh, kept passing a piece of gum back and forth between us. The same chewed piece."

"Don't recall the gum sharing part of it too well. But that must have been the trip where you flicked a wad of gum into her hair."

"I wouldn't do something like _that_."

"You mean you wouldn't get _caught_ doing something like that. You were twenty feet away or more at the time and the teacher refused to believe Bonnie when she accused you of doing it." He glanced around to make sure Luke wasn't nearby and concluded in a lower voice, "I guess we could say that was the first time you used your special powers for good."

"And what's good about gum in the hair? Man, am I the one who started the whole rivalry thing between us?"

"That was Third Grade, KP. Rewind a little further to kindergarten. What would happen every time you'd wear a new dress to school?"

"Bonnie would 'accidentally' spill paint on me. That little witch!"

"She was just jealous of you, Kim. Always has been. Still is today."

_Oh, right. Quite possibly the most beautiful girl in school. Certainly the best wardrobe. The one who always had a top of the food chain date for every dance and social activity since the earliest days of Middle School. Yeah, I can see why she'd be totally envious of my life. _

"Not sure I'm gonna completely buy into that one, Ron."

"Yeah, KP, I'm right about this. I'll grant you that Bon Bon is popular. Always has an entourage around her. But do you notice that the faces change every year? Almost every semester?"

"Well... I guess it's not easy to toe the Rockwaller line indefinitely."

"Wouldn't know. Never tried it."

_Is that a dig? At me?_

"Bonnie has spent most of her life searching for something," continued Ron.

"A rich husband?"

"A best friend."

"I... Wow." _Guess that Captain Oblivious crown actually belongs on my head since in the dozen years I've known Bonnie that thought never crossed my mind._

Luke returned from the kitchen with a large cardboard tray holding several paper bags.

Kim gave him a smile. "If you're going off on a delivery, I hope you'll be careful."

He set the tray down on the counter before them. "These are for you two. Mostly pastries, a few rolls, and about a dozen of the hot dogs. They're packed in ice and will make it back to the Inn okay."

"Luke, this is incredibly generous."

"Yeah, thanks, dude. You're awesome."

"It's nothing. Whatever you don't have a use for, just throw away."

Kim eyed the empty tables behind them. "I suppose you'll be closing up soon."

"Not that soon. I still have some more work to do in the back."

"Before you go, can I ask one more time about Taylor? Do you agree with Patty that nothing is really wrong and he'll turn up soon. This Kirk person, too?"

"Why wouldn't they be?" Kim didn't have an immediate response to that so Luke asked, "So you've heard about the Whateley House?"

Kim knew a split second decision was called for here and the wrong answer might jeopardize the entire mission. "As Ron can tell you, eavesdropping is a really bad habit of mine."

"Well, it's a dangerous thing to do when you're in a town full of idiots."

"Luke, I didn't say I believed all the wild talk I heard. But the house itself is real, right?"

"Yes."

"Have you been there?"

"Never inside it. But I've been fairly close. During the day and at night. I guess the ghosts or whatever the hell is supposed to haunt the place were on vacation. Both times."

"Well, sure," said Kim. "But still... "

"But still?"

Kim's mind raced to come up with a plausible explanation for why she would be interested in the local mystery house but Ron was quicker.

"Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. I know Kim comes across like a squishy soft... uh, cheerleader type sometimes but believe me, she's got some bulldog in her. I can tell she already has her mind set on seeing this house. So do her a favor, do _me_ a favor, and tell us where we can find the place."

The diner owner eyed each of them in turn for a long moment before stating, "It won't be easy. The house is pretty isolated."

Kim poked Ron's leg and then pointed to the spot on the floor where he had set down her backpack. "There are some hiking trail guides in there."

Ron retrieved the maps and handed them to Luke who flipped through them quickly before choosing one. "This road comes the closest but it'll still be a mile or more from the house at the nearest point."

Ron loved hiking about as much as he did homework. "You're saying there's no way to just drive right there?"

"No."

"How old is this house anyway?" Kim asked.

"Probably a hundred years or more."

"Well, when did the... strangeness start?"

"As soon as Old Man Whateley moved in. Back in the Forties I think."

"Cool," said Kim. _No, uncool. Totally uncool. Amy isn't exactly young but she sure wasn't doing genetic experiments there or anywhere else sixty plus years ago. So we're back to square one. _

Luke said, "I thought the house had finally been forgotten but with those college kids spreading their damn stories... "

_Okay, this sounds more promising. _"Did they come here?"

"No, it was Tilly Erlanger. She works as a nurse at the County Hospital and was on duty when they brought in the kid who broke his leg."

"He was at the Whateley House?"

"Along with enough friends to haul the kegs in."

"Okay now, you are guessing about the alcohol, right?"

"Yes," admitted Luke.

"But a likely enough possibility," remarked Ron. "You know what teenagers are like, Kim." He shook his head disdainfully.

She paused momentarily to give him a quick frown. "Okay, Luke. I promise, just two more questions about the Whateley House and I will let the subject drop. First, are all the students who went to the house accounted for?"

"As far as I know."

"And do you think that Taylor or Kirk could have heard the story of these kids going to the house and somebody getting hurt?"

"I haven't seen either of them since yesterday. Taylor only comes around if he wants to bitch about something. But Kirk is usually a regular at breakfast."

"And his girlfriend doesn't know where he is," remarked Ron.

Luke did not respond and Kim decided it was time for a new topic. "So, how long have you been running your own diner?"

"Going on eleven years now."

"Long hours and hard work?"

"At times," was the laconic reply.

"Yeah, Ron is a chef back home. Maybe someday he'll have a restaurant of his own."

"As long as it's at least a hundred miles from here, I'm all for it."

The friends exchanged smiles, knowing he meant it as a compliment of Ron's culinary talents.

"What do you do, Kim?"

_I don't know. We never got around to making up a cover story for me. _"I guess you could say I'm between jobs right now."

"You two have any kids?"

"I, uh, no. We just got married yesterday."

"I heard that. Congratulations. To you I mean," he said to Ron. "I know the bride isn't supposed to be congratulated."

"Yeah, especially in this case," added Kim, giving Ron a pretend glower. _Hey, you started the whole teasing thing, buddy. Besides, whatever gets us off the subject of the two of us having children together, then I'm going for it. _

Ron gave her a mischievous smile. "But y'know, Luke, the funny thing about our marriage is-"

At that moment a cell phone in Kim's pants pocket began to ring. Out of habit she reached in for her personal phone but remembered she had shut it off. Thrusting it back, she tugged out the Global Justice device from her other front pocket and flipped it open. The display screen said the call was from 'Aunt Betty'.

"Umm, excuse me, please."

Kim stepped outside the diner, glanced around to ensure there was no one was nearby, and hit the accept button. "Hello?"

"Ms. Possible?"

"Speaking."

"This is Agent Tagore at Global Justice."

"Nice to speak to you, Agent."

"And an honor to speak to you, Miss."

"Ah, thank you. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. But I thought you'd like to know the local contact just checked in."

Kim pitched her voice still lower. "Taylor Doose?"

"That's the man."

"Is he home now?"

"No. Looks like he is still several miles from your location. But I can connect you by phone."

"That will work. Do I hang up?"

"No, just keep the line open."

"Right. And I'd like to speak with you again after I'm done with him."

"Understood. Connection coming through... now."

There were two soft clicks and then a man's voice said, "Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Doose. This is... " Kim took another look around her. "The GJ Team Leader in town. I've been trying to reach you for several hours now."

"Yes, well, I've been on the road since before dawn."

"That sounds like a long day. Uncover anything related to this case?"

"No, not exactly."

"Is there something else going on I should know about?"

The man hesitated. "Kirk didn't check in with me last night."

"Is that right?"

"Yes. Kirk Gleason. On Thursday I asked him to make a survey of the areas outside of Stars Hollow. Just to look for unusual activity."

"Does he know about… "

"No. Not about this Amy Hall person. Not about my connection to Global Justice."

"And now he's missing. Maybe he should have been given more of a warning about the potential dangers out there these days."

"It's easy to make a comment like that in retrospect, Agent, ah... "

"Pendarvis."

"Agent Pendarvis. But it didn't seem like such a dangerous activity back on Thursday."

"You mean before the news about the Whateley House came out?"

"Exactly."

"Did you go there today?"

"As close as the roads would allow."

"And found nothing?"

"That's right."

So far the conversation had been rather unenlightening. Kim wondered if there were other important questions she should be asking but nothing occurred to her at the moment.

She peered through the front window of the diner and saw Ron and Luke were discussing something. It must be food, she decided, because that appears to be the only thing they have in common. Luke is such a man's man. Even without the baseball cap he seems to always wear, she would have guessed he loved sports, and hunting and fishing seem like safe bets as well.

As for Ron, well, boy's boy is probably not too far off the mark. Even by the low standards set by the typical high school male, Ron comes up lacking on the maturity scale in so many areas.

_Okay Kim, if all that is true why have you having all these thoughts about him that are so... adult? _

_No, no, no. One mystery at a time here. _

"So Mr. Doose, will you be available tomorrow if we need you?"

"By phone, yes."

"I was thinking more as a guide and to provide transportation."

"I'm not a field operative. I wouldn't have any ties to Global Justice at all if it wasn't for my nephew."

"Your nephew?"

"The one who married Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth?"

"The woman you work for."

"Right. Of course." _Okay, so at least one piece of information was disclosed in this conversation. This is the first I've heard of Dr. Director being married. I hope for both their sakes she made it safely through the attack earlier today. _

"All right, Mr. Doose. We'll be in touch again." _If there's no way to avoid it._

Kim hit the end call button. The phone was silent for a moment, then emitted a series of clicks.

"Ms. Possible?"

"Yes, but please just call me Kim."

"Right. How can we assist you this evening?"

"To start, I'd be interested in any information you could dig up on the Whateley House, maybe ten miles outside of Stars Hollow. I'm not sure of the spelling but it was built about a century ago."

"I'll get right on it. Anything else?"

"Well, would it be possible to get a car loaned to us?"

"Certainly. Any particular requirements?"

"What kind of options are we talking about?"

"GJ currently employs three different armored transportation vehicles."

"You mean like a tank?"

"If tanks could fly and travel underwater, yes."

Kim was surprised at the temptation she felt to give Ron a chance at the controls of such a vehicle. She knew it was totally wrong for their current sitch but it would be a real thrill for him. The decision became easier for her when she started to think about the potential damage he could cause.

_Yeah, I give in on this and the Welcome To Stars Hollow sign will have to include the founding and the flattening dates for the town. _

"I think we will just go with low key and inconspicuous here."

"Right. Be aware the car will have to be brought up from the GJ garage in New York and that could take a few hours."

"I understand. Let us know when it gets here."

"Affirmative. Agent Tagore out."

Kim stepped back into the diner in time to see Ron finishing off a cheese danish. "Luke, you might want to come stand over here. I'm thinking the explosion is just seconds away."

"Ha ha, KP. Now c'mon over here and look at something cool."

"Hey, pictures." Kim considered each of the four photographs placed on the counter top before their seats. "She's cute. And... yes, she has your nose," Kim told Luke.

"Fortunately, the resemblance ends there."

"So you could tell right away that this was Luke's daughter?" asked Ron.

"Yes. What did you think?"

"There are other possible explanations for why he would have these pictures," he said defensively.

"Such as?"

"Uhhh... "

When Ron fell silent, Luke said, "He guessed she was the one millionth customer at the diner."

The sentence "It's a good thing you're cute, too." almost escaped from Kim. Instead she smiled warmly at her best friend and rubbed the backs of two fingers against his cheek for a moment.

"Ah, what's her name, Luke?"

"April."

"Nice. She's what, thirteen?"

"Just turned."

"Tough age for a girl."

"She seems to be managing."

"I'm glad to hear it." She gave him an earnest look. "Hey, Luke, thanks for showing us her pictures. Thanks for everything. This has been a lot of fun, but now I think we should get out of here and stop distracting you from your work. We'll be back, though, if that's all right."

Luke nodded.

Ron put his hand on Kim's shoulder. "Then you'll be seeing us again, dude."

Kim patted his hand but kept her grin directed at Luke. With a bit of Motor Ed in her voice, she said, "Yeah, _dude_, but next time we like pay our own way. Totally."

The night air was cool, but not unpleasantly so since Kim and Ron were walking at a brisk pace.

"What's the plan now, KP?"

"Back to the inn."

"Yeah, something tells me we're not going back to catch up on our TV watching."

"You might be right, Ron."

"Who called?"

"GJ."

"Anything new?"

"Not really. Finally made contact with the informant but nothing came of it."

"So we're going to check out that house?"

"Unless you have a better idea."

"I think even the lobster at Al's Pancake World would be a 'better' idea. And we're not gonna wait for sunup, are we?"

"No." Not liking the silence that came over him, Kim asked, "So what did you and Luke talk about when I was outside?"

"Stuff."

"Secret stuff?"

"No, he just... The idea was... "

"Hey, Ron, if it was the sort of thing that shouldn't be discussed in mixed company... "

"The conversation would have been a lot shorter if _that's_ what we were talking about!"

_Oh? Did you promise Madeline and Louise not to kiss and tell?_

In a lower, calmer voice Ron said, "Basically what Luke was trying to tell me was that even though most men prefer sons, I shouldn't automatically assume that having a daughter would be any less rewarding."

"Okay. Were you assuming that?"

"No."

"So, you already knew you wanted girls?"

"Kim! Why are you asking me stuff like this? Is this your way of getting back at me for the cheerleader comment?"

"I didn't know that taking an interest in my best friend's future would be interpreted as an act of hostility. Pardon me, Ron."

He waited several seconds before asking, "But on the other hand, you're okay with squishy and soft?"

Kim gave him a sharp look but after a few seconds she found herself returning his smile.

"You really are a-"

He held up an admonishing finger. "Ah-ah-ah, KP. You never know when one of your young impressionable fans might be within earshot."

"Kim Pendarvis doesn't have to worry about things like that."

"I guess that's true."

She gave their surroundings a quick survey. "This whole undercover sitch is kind of a trip. I mean if we wanted to, right now, you and I could walk into a bar and order a drink. Lots of drinks."

"Theoretically, yes."

"But?"

"But we both know that's not going to happen."

"Why not?"

"Man, KP, how many reasons do you need? I bet I could list a dozen without any strain at all."

"No, not that many."

"One, your parents might find out and say no more missions. Two, GJ hears about it, same consequence. Three, the media picks up on the story and there go all your commercial endorsement deals."

"I don't do commercial endorsements. Never have, never will."

"Let's not revisit that bitter, unswallowable pill, KP. The deepest wounds take the longest to heal."

"Mangle your metaphors, much?"

"Four-"

"Three."

"Four."

"Oh, all right, four."

"Five, the afore mentioned young people who eagerly devour any available information on you and your life because they view you as a worthy role model."

"Arrgh."

"Although I believe you'll find that middle aged males are even more devoted in their interest of Kim Possible."

"Ron! Don't go there. _Ever_."

"Right. Was that twelve?"

"Twelve new gray hairs for me since we started this conversation. But not twelve reasons why I wouldn't do what I talked about. The count stands at five."

"Six is we are headed for a blood donation at a house filled with vampires and you wouldn't want to be late."

"Vampires, huh?"

"Are you saying there are no such things as vampires?"

"No. Not after the... fun we had in Rio de Janeiro."

"Okay then. Seven. You could be allergic to alcohol."

"I've had alcohol, Ron."

"Yeah, KP, I don't think your mom letting you have a sip of her Long Island Iced Tea really counts."

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Is this like the stupidest thing we have ever argued about?"

"Probably."

"Let's let it go then."

"Right. I won. End of story."

"I, uh, fine. You won."

"Okay, that was totally OOC."

"Monique isn't here to translate. What does that mean?"

"Out of character."

"Oh. Well, that's been me this entire weekend."

To her surprise, he put his arm around her shoulders. "You're dealing with a few issues. It'll all get sorted out. And just remember, Kim, having the courage to tell me what's going on up here," he tapped a fingertip against the side of her head, "is a sign of strength not weakness."

Kim was using both hands to carry the cardboard box so she could only emulate his gesture by tilting her head until it rested against his. "You don't tell me what's going on in _there_ very often."

"Which completely proves my point about the importance of strength and courage."

Kim drew in a breath to reply, but before that could happen she became aware of his fingers oh so gently moving through the tresses of the wig she wore. Words were forgotten then and she let the air out of her lungs in a slow, shuddery exhalation. Their heads stayed in contact but he pivoted slightly and she heard him make a sniffing noise.

The words that followed were low but audible. "This wig doesn't have a smell to it. It's not like your hair at all."

_Ron knows my hair has a particular scent? How could that be unless he..._

He jerked his arm away as if fearing she was about to burst into flame. "I-I'm sorry."

Kim forced her mouth to start working again. "Right, comforting a friend. Very bad."

A quick sideways glance told her Ron was walking with his head directed forward but apparently his eyes weren't focusing very well because he tripped over an uneven piece of sidewalk and barely managed to keep himself from falling.

"Careful, Ron," she murmured.

"Yeah. So, do you happen to know where the... "

"Danish?"

"No, the hot dogs."

"I think they're in this one."

He pulled a plastic bag from the paper sack she indicated, opened it, and plucked a hot dog from the icy slush within.

"I guess you like those things."

"Oh, yeah," he replied, his mouth obviously full.

"I mean you said like fifteen minutes ago you were stuffed."

"Y'know, KP, I find the whole concept of only eating when you're hungry to be regimented and confining. We are more than mere animals, our lives devoted solely to satisfying the biological imperatives of survival."

"Is that right, professor?"

"Yes, mankind also needs artistic expression. Human beings have an inner compulsion to create and admire beauty."

"Like the hot dog."

"Like _these _hot dogs," he said, pulling another from the plastic bag.

"Gotta be the coriander."

"Tarragon, KP. Bold move that. I mean yes, tarragon with chicken or shellfish, but beef? It works though."

"Yeah, for sure. Hey, Ron, I was thinking about something earlier. It's true that Sookie is a good cook, and so is Luke. But they're both decades older than you."

"So what?"

"So you were like fifteen when you invented the naco, and millions of them have been sold. More people have paid to eat your food creation in the last two years than will go to Luke's Diner or to the Dragonfly in fifty years."

"I guess."

"I know."

He turned to look at her. "What, are you gonna start a fan club or something?"

"Too late for that."

"What do you mean?"

"I, uh, already started one. Fourteen years ago this September."

Ron made the "Heh heh" sound that showed he was embarrassed but didn't otherwise respond.

"That's Third Street up there. The Inn is only a couple of blocks away now."

As soon as the two friends rounded the corner Kim indicated, they saw a car parked along the side of the road with its hazard lights blinking.

"Here you go, KP. One more favor today and you've got a lock on the next mayor election."

"Let's go see what's wrong."

As they moved closer to the car, Kim saw its sole occupant was a thirtyish female with long blonde hair. All the windows in her vehicle were up and she was watching their approach with barely concealed apprehension.

_Well, this isn't the most inviting section of Stars Hollow. The Dragonfly Inn is actually pretty close but it's set back from the road and isn't visible from here. None of the commercial establishments in the area are open now and at places along this block, the trees grow right up to the sidewalk. _

"Ron, maybe you better stay back here for now."

She handed him the cardboard box and walked slowly around to the driver's side window. Placing a hopefully reassuring smile on her lips Kim said, "Hello. Are you having trouble?"

The woman said nothing as she looked rapidly from Kim to Ron and back again.

Kim raised her voice a little higher. "Is everything all right?"

This time the woman answered, or at least her lips moved, but nothing intelligible made it to Kim's ears.

In something close to a shout Kim asked, "Do you need any help?"

The woman spoke again and Kim thought she heard 'tow truck'.

"Have you called for one or would you like me to do that?"

The woman pointed over at Ron and said something in a questioning tone.

_He's really not that dangerous, lady. Stay away from him on Spring Break and you'll be fine._

"Ah, starting to get a complex over here, KP."

_Sounds like he's eating. Again. _"Don't take it personally, Ron. I think maybe she's foreign. I'm going to try something here."

With another smile, Kim reached into her pants pocket and pulled out the Global Justice cell phone. She opened the cover and set it down on the hood of the car.

"I hope she understands this is a temporary loan and not a gift," said Kim as she moved back several feet.

A soft thumping noise indicated the woman had unlocked the car door. Hesitantly, the woman opened it and stepped out. She eyed Kim anxiously as she walked to the phone.

"I'm not sure you can understand me but the phone is there if you need to make a call."

Apparently she did. Her left hand reached toward the phone with an exaggerated slowness that made Kim wonder if she was ill or under the influence of some sort of drug. It wasn't until the gun in the woman's right hand was pointed directly at Kim's heart that the teen realized she had been duped.

"KP!"

In a soothing tone, Kim said, "Ron, stay there."

The gun barrel made a jerking motion and Kim raised her hands over her head.

"Don't come any closer, Ron. Just lie down on the pavement."

"But, Kim!"

"Please and thank you."

The woman moved the gun in a circular motion.

_She wants me to turn around so I can't look into her eyes. The whole misdirection thing with her hands shows that she understands the advantage that eye contact with an opponent gives you. Somehow she knows who I am and she's worried about the two of us being face to face like this. Maybe there's some Bobby Johnson in you, lady. His eyes telegraphed every punch and kick he tried against me and nothing got through. Of course Bobby wasn't armed with a Glock 36 9mm automatic..._

Kim lowered her arms and took a step forward, her eyes locked with those of the gunwoman.

_This is stupid, Possible. You're only doing this to prove to yourself that your combat skills haven't deserted you. And if they have, if you are anything less than 100 percent right now, you're dead and Ron soon will be. _

_No, this is the only way to save him. Ron's a lot more likely to get hurt if he tries the distraction game when there's a gun in play. And he's probably planning to make some kind of move right now. _

Kim took another forward step.

_Watch the eyes. They'll tell you what you need to know. It doesn't matter how far away the streetlight is. You can see well enough. _

_Please, Ron. Stay put just another few seconds. _

Kim made a third step toward the woman. The distance between them was now close enough for the shimmer of sweat to be visible on the blonde's forehead.

_I can do this. I can feel her nerve slipping away. _

_But what are you doing, Ron? I can't hear you and I don't dare look away for even a microsecond. _

_Keep watching her eyes. Everything will be revealed right there. The moment she decides to fire, whether the shot will be straight on or veer to the left or right... _

With the uncomfortable sensation of walking off of a cliff, Kim stepped forward yet again.

_No weapons, no gadgets, no distractions. The only thing you have over her at this moment is nerve. Make that work for you._

Kim smiled as she lifted her arms up parallel to the street. She flexed them at the elbows and fluttered her fingers.

_All right. It's going to happen... now!_

Kim launched herself forward and slightly to the left of the woman so that the first bullet did nothing more than tug at Kim's sweater as it passed. The second shot wasn't as close but she still felt the stinging bits of concrete it dislodged from the street as she hurtled across the pavement. Since the gun was silenced, it would not draw attention to the trouble the two teens now faced**.**

_Anyway, does Stars Hollow even have a police department?_

Kicking off with her legs increased her speed, and when the third shot was fired, it traveled straight up because Kim had forced the woman's arm in that direction. Kim butted her head against her opponent's nose, which stunned her, and then the teen's right elbow struck the woman's cheek hard enough to render her unconscious.

Kim let her crumple on to the street. She paused just long enough to kick the fallen weapon several yards away and then started off for the place she had last seen Ron.

He was still there but now so were two men she didn't know. One of them was behind Ron and had an arm pulled tightly around her best friend's throat. Even as he struggled to break that hold, Ron was kicking out at the other man standing in front of him.

_Okay, now I see why you didn't try something stupid earlier. I should have known it had nothing to do with following orders._

She raced across the pavement, but before even half the distance could be covered, the man in front of Ron had produced a gun of his own.

Kim froze in place. "No! Stop! We give up."

The gunman eyed her coldly. "Lay down on the ground and put your hands behind your back."

The idea of surrender seemed to make Ron resist even more frantically. "Don't do it, Kim!"

"Be quiet, Ron! And stop fighting them." She turned back to the gunman. "I'm doing what you say. There's no reason for anyone to get hurt."

Kim lowered herself onto the pavement and was instantly aware of a damp chill that went right through her clothes.

"Lift up your legs."

As soon as she complied with his latest order, the man turned rapidly and slammed the butt of his gun down onto the top of Ron's head. The teen went rag doll limp and dropped to the sidewalk.

Kim let out a low but anguished cry and suddenly the effort of keeping her head lifted off the ground was more than she could bear. Her cheek sank on to the gritty surface of the street as she watched the two men move toward her.

* * *

(More Author Notes: Luke Danes and Patty LaCosta appeared in the Gilmore girls TV show created by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

The Whateley Family comes from the writings of H P Lovecraft.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

The above characters are all used without permission of the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	5. Reversal

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**5. Reversal**

Saturday Night:

"Mom, do you know where the aspirin is?"

"Your mom isn't here, Ron."

_That's Kim's voice! She'll have aspirin. And she'll be able to tell me why I can't move my hands from behind my back. _

Ron Stoppable opened his eyes and struggled into a sitting position. "Okay, that was a mistake," he muttered as a tidal wave of nausea poured over him.

"Breathe, Ron. Slow, steady breaths."

He followed Kim's advice, and soon the contents of his stomach had canceled the travel plans. His vision was a bit more focused now, and he could see that Kim was standing a short distance away from him with her wrists cuffed behind her. She gave him a sardonic wave with the fingers of one hand.

"I believe the traditional question here would be how long was I out?"

"Only about a minute," said Kim.

"Ah, well, glad I didn't miss anything." _Or maybe I did. Kim's clothes are all dirty, and there's a dark spot on the side of her face that looks like a nasty bruise. _

Ron glanced around to locate their captors. One of the men who had jumped him was standing by the car, examining the bloody nose of the blonde haired woman. The other was on the sidewalk. He had a gun pointed in the general direction of the two teenagers and was watching them carefully.

"See, Ron, I told you the nightlife in Stars Hollow wouldn't be boring."

Kim started to walk toward him, probably to help him rise to his feet, but the gunman didn't like that idea. He snarled, "Keep away from him." She gave Ron a tight smile and stepped back to her original position.

Suddenly, the blonde was standing before her with features twisted by rage. "You bitch. Look what you did to my nose!" She had a gun in one hand and a crimsoned handkerchief in the other. Both were waved in Kim's face as she called the teen names that even Bonnie drew the line at.

"Lay off," said the gunman beside her, finally. "You know we need her alive."

"Alive, yes. But she doesn't have to stay pretty."

Ron scrambled to his feet but was knocked back down almost immediately. From his knees, Ron cleared his throat theatrically until he had four sets of eyes staring at him. "Okay now, I really hate to be the rain-on-the-parade guy at this party, but I am seeing some slipshod work here, fellas. Yeah, lady with the potty mouth, that goes for you, too."

Ron got a kick to his ribs and a growling, "Shut up," from the man beside him.

"All right. Blame the messenger if you must, but everyone here knows it's true."

"I said shut it!"

"Ah-hhhh. Careful, wouldn't want you to scuff your shoes." Ron breathed in and out. "It's really amazing. You guys seem somewhat professional. You figured out we were in town and what aliases we were using. Kudos there. But, come on, you seem to be overlooking something that even the most basic research could have told you."

In a grudging tone the man closest to Kim asked, "Which is what?"

Ron's gaze took in each of them in turn before his eyes met Kim's. "When we go out on a mission, there are always three of us."

Perhaps five seconds passed in silence before the gunman closest to Ron said, "That's pretty lame, even under these circumstances."

The blonde responded, "Maybe not. It's true they usually travel with a trained rat, an ugly hairless thing."

"Well, it obviously isn't here now," declared the man beside her even as his eyes roved around the area.

The closer man grabbed Ron by his shirt collar and yanked him to his feet. "You better spill something while you're still able to talk."

Ron looked into the man's eyes, but his attention shifted to a spot on the sidewalk for an instant. "I-I've got nothing to say."

For the second time that night Ron was shoved to the street. This time the contents of the backpack he wore collided with his spine just as his bound wrists caused sharp pains at each of his shoulder joints.

_At least that made me forget my headache for a few seconds, _Ron thought as he rolled into a position where he could see Kim again.

The teen was just in time to witness his best friend do something remarkable. Kim hopped several feet into the air, and while airborne, she tucked her legs up against her chest and then brought her cuffed arms forward so that when her shoes touched the pavement again her hands were in front of her.

_That would be so cool if it wasn't going to be the last thing I ever see Kim do. The last thing I ever see for that matter. _He met her eyes again, and her expression was perfectly understandable even though no sound came from her. _"What's the rest of the plan, Ron? Even I can't handle three people with guns unless there is another major distraction."_

He could only shrug. _I had a plan, KP. Really I did. But I guess it's not gonna work out the way I had hoped._

No anger or recrimination showed on her features. She gave him a quick smile and a slight nod that was probably meant to reassure him.

Kim turned and saw the blonde woman was staring at her, puzzlement contracting her brows.

_She knows something is different about KP, but it's going to take her a few seconds to figure it out. And as soon as she does, I know she'll start firing. _

Ron filled his lungs with air and then shouted as loudly as he could, "Now, Rufus, now!"

Almost immediately after Ron had finished yelling, the man behind him fired his silenced weapon three times and did some shouting of his own. "Yeah! I got the little --! Blew him into tiny pink pieces!"

Ron looked up at Kim once more and saw she was already in action. Her forearms were locked onto the other woman's throat, and she was twirling her around like an Olympic hammer thrower.

When Kim let go, the blonde went cartwheeling through the air for several feet and the teenager used her own backward momentum to slam into the other gunman. He might have fallen over, but Kim reached behind her and gripped his neck. She bent at the waist and the man was propelled forward over her head and into the car's windshield.

Ron heard a gun fire twice behind him and suddenly realized that watching the martial arts show being put on by his best friend was not the wisest use of his time. It might have been his imagination, but it seemed that he could actually feel the air displaced by those bullets brush against his skin. The sensation added impetus to his frantic scramble to put the car between himself and the last conscious gunman. The gun fired again, but Ron made it to the far side of the car with no greater injury than a bumped knee.

Surprisingly, Kim wasn't there, not behind the car, not inside it, and not underneath. He looked up and down the street, but still saw no sign of her.

_Well, that only leaves one other possibility._

Ron cautiously raised his head above the hood of the car and then higher still so he could see over the body of the unconscious man lying against the windshield.

Yes, there was Kim standing close behind the other gunman, both her hands on his gun arm to prevent him from aiming his weapon at either of them. Unfortunately, he was much larger than she was, and her position gave her little effective leverage in the struggle.

"Stay down!" she shouted at Ron just before a bullet formed a spider's web on the front passenger window. Another shattered the car's front grill and liquid immediately began to gurgle out of a punctured radiator.

Kim drove her elbow into the man's face and wrenched his arm backwards until the barrel of the gun was pointed directly at his own head. She spoke to the man in a voice too low for Ron to hear, but if he read her lips correctly her words were something like "Fire now."

Whatever she told him, the man let go of the weapon and it tumbled to the street.

Ron stood up hesitantly. It was hard to believe it was really over. For hours it seemed they had been having guns pointed at them and bullets fired in their direction, but actually, the whole sitch had probably taken less than ten minutes from start to finish. That's all the time it took for his best friend to overcome three armed attackers, even with the handicap of having to simultaneously protect him.

_Guess the worries about Kim losing her combat skills were all wrong. Now if we could just bring back her emotional stability..._

Ron saw she had a grip on the jacket collar of the disarmed gunman and was pushing him toward the car. His left arm was across his chest gripping his upper right arm which hung loosely, almost unnaturally so, from the shoulder.

"What happened to him?" asked Ron.

Kim seemed not to hear the question. "I kicked the woman's gun over there somewhere. Can you find it, please?"

He clanked the handcuffs together behind his back. "Sure. But can I get these off first?"

"Finding that gun is pretty important, Ron. You do that while I look for the keys."

"Yeah, and shouldn't we be checking out the condition of this guy on the hood and the woman over there? Maybe they're hurt bad or maybe they're about to wake up and they have other weapons on them."

"I'm here and I'll take care of those things, Ron. Find the gun!"

He didn't move. "Why are you standing like that?"

"Like what?"

"You've got half your body hidden behind Mr. Kicks here."

"Yes, well, I'm experiencing a slight wardrobe malfunction."

"What?"

"My sweater has a few more holes in it now than it did when I put it on this morning."

"Oh."

"So, if I could just get you to turn away for a minute, I'll try to fix the problem."

_This is a little odd,_ thought Ron as he stared up and down the deserted street. _Probably more people on this planet have seen Kim's bare midriff than have watched every presidential debate in history, and she's concerned about a few peek holes in her shirt. _

"This is Kim Possible. You have a fix on our current position?"

Ron almost turned around at the sound of her voice, but then he realized she was using the cell phone to contact Global Justice.

"That's right. How soon to get a team of agents out here?

"That won't do. We have prisoners here that we need to hand over, the sooner the better."

_Where is that stupid gun?_

"I suppose, but the problem is that we, uh, well, the prisoners are a little ... banged up.

"No! No ambulance. They don't need it.

"They won't try to take us in for statements, will they?"

_I should have offered her my shirt. Why does my brain only work in- Hey! That looks like - _"Kim! I got it!"

She waved for him to come back. He saw then that Kim had found a beige blanket in the truck of the car, cut a hole in the center of it, and slipped it over her head.

"And make sure the troopers know this is to be a silent approach, with no lights. Put the request in now, please. I'll wait."

She placed the phone between a raised shoulder and a tilted head. "Ron, come around to this side so you can keep an eye on things."

"Right. Did you find the cuff keys yet?"

"I'm going to start looking now."

She pulled the sleeve of the man on the car hood and flipped him onto his back. There was blood trickling from his nose and the corner of his mouth, but his chest rose and fell in a regular pattern.

In a low tone Kim said, "Ron, you need to be watching the man over there and not what I'm doing."

"Sorry. So where'd you get the knife to cut up the blanket?"

"From the guy with the broken arm."

"Yeah, how'd that happen anyway? He seemed okay when you made him drop his gun."

_And suddenly you're deaf again. _

"Okay, answer me this. When you went to disarm the guy, how did you go from behind this car to behind him without getting some holes blasted through you?"

The sound of her hands patting against various parts of the unconscious man's anatomy paused for a moment, and in a matter-of-fact voice she said, "I used the tree."

Ron glanced upward to see that the foliage of a tree on the side of the road had extended out into the street, but its lowest branches were at least fifteen feet off the ground.

"Well, sure. Why didn't I think of that?"

The sound of jangling metal announced her discovery of the handcuff keys. Ron quickly turned around to let Kim unlock his cuffs. When they were off, he began to reflexively rub each of his wrists.

"Hope they didn't hurt too much. I made them as loose as I could."

"You put these on me?" asked Ron.

Kim nodded.

"Then I'm just glad they didn't bring a muzzle along, too."

She pursed her lips in an almost smile and held up her hands.

When he removed the cuffs, it was clear that Kim's wrists hadn't fared as well as his own. The skin was rubbed raw in places and bruises were already forming. Somehow the fact that she still wore the pretend wedding ring made her injuries seem even more striking.

Kim gently withdrew her hands from his and whispered, "Ron, believe me. This is nothing." In a normal tone she added, "Now come on. We have things to do."

At Kim's direction, Ron turned the unconscious man face down and placed the handcuffs on him. Then they walked over to where the blonde woman was lying in the street.

"Okay," said Kim. "When you turn her onto her back, you'll have to support her head and neck at the same time."

"Why do I have to touch her?"

She arched an eyebrow at him. "You don't like to touch women?"

"Not this one!"

"Ron, I did the last two searches. It's your turn."

"The searchee is female, that makes it your turn."

"We're wasting time here, and she may have a serious injury."

"You could teach first aid training to ER doctors, Kim."

"Ron, I'm asking you as a friend to please do this."

"Fine," he snapped and had to stiffle a groan as his knee made contact with the pavement.

Kim took him through step by step instructions on the proper method for shifting her onto her back, as well as checking pulse rate, respiration, and pupil dialation. Pronouncing the woman not in need of immediate medical attention, Kim directed him on how to check the female form for concealed weapons. When the search had been performed to Kim's satisfaction, the woman's hands were cuffed behind her back and she was dragged over to a spot near the other two would be captors.

Ron stood up, wiped his palms against his jeans, and said, "Now we wait."

"That's too passive." Kim walked over to stand before the man with the broken arm.

_Is she limping?_

His best friend kicked her shoe against one of the man's boots. "Hey, nobody said it was naptime."

He made a three word suggestion of where she could go.

"Better wise up, mister. You're facing years, maybe decades, of prison time for what you and your friends tried to do tonight. Some cooperation now could whittle that down considerably."

The man's next response was only two words.

Kim stared down at him for a long moment, then she moved over a few feet to his right side. The side with the broken arm.

"You like kicking people, don't you?"

The man did not verbally reply this time, but his face became even paler, and his left hand moved up and down his right arm in a nervous manner.

"You know who can really kick well? Soccer players."

_Okay, Kim. You're starting to scare me a little here. _

"I've played soccer before."

_Come on, KP. Give me a wink or some kind of a sign to show you're just bluffing._

"I'm actually pretty good at it. In fact, I used to teach soccer."

_What do I do if she's not bluffing? What _could_ I do?_

"It's time to start answering some questions, begining with how did you know we would be in Stars Hollow?"

The man forced himself to meet her gaze. "Do your worst... cheerleader."

Ron drew in a breath and held it. There was a look of cold fury on his best friend's face like he had never seen before. The muscles on her jaw line visibly tightened and her nostrils flared. Kim drew back her right leg, paused for a long moment, and then stamped her foot down on the pavement. With an inarticulate growl of rage, she turned and walked away.

"Yo, dude." The man craned his head up until he could meet Ron's gaze. "When they give you your one phone call, I think you should get somebody to go buy you a lottery ticket."

Ron walked over to the sidewalk so he could stand next to his best friend. "So, Kim, how's your Saturday going?"

"Mixed. And you?"

"About the same."

"Ron, I hate to admit this, but it wasn't until about half a minute ago that I finally figured out the Rufus... Stratagem."

"You've been kinda busy, KP. And, anyway, don't you think that's a pretty fancy word for dropping a few hot dogs on the ground and getting somebody to believe it's a naked mole rat?"

"It was amazing, Ron."

"The only amazing thing about tonight was seeing you in action."

He hoped for a smile from her, but instead, a shadow seemed to come over her features. "I guess it could have gone worse."

"Nice playing acting back there, by the way. You almost had even me fooled."

She glanced over to the prisoner with the broken arm. "Yeah, well, we see what that got us."

"So, you're no torturer. Not exactly a character flaw. Unless you like the idea of turning into another Jack Bauer." She gave him a puzzled look. "Remember, that federal agent in LA, the whack job who tried to put the screws to Killigan. Key word being 'tried'."

"Right," murmured Kim, her eyes back to moving constantly from the prisoners to each direction of the street.

"I supposed he had a fun time explaining things to his bosses when he woke up the next morn-"

"Gah! Finally!"

Ron turned in the direction she was facing and saw a vehicle was moving slowly toward them.

Kim put her hand on his shoulder. "Hey Ron, why don't you go see if you can salvage any of the food Luke gave us."

"Why?"

"Because I know you're going to want it later."

"No, I mean why do you only say that to me when a car comes up?"

"No special reason."

"Are you expecting more trouble?"

"No, but I didn't expect what already happened either."

The car that moved toward them was a white four door with a red light rack on the roof and door decals indicating Connecticut State Police. It pulled up directly in front of the two teens. The passenger side window rolled down, but neither of the two men within said anything.

Kim put on a rather insincere smile and stepped forward a few feet. "Good evening, officers. Thank you for coming so quickly. Ah, as you can see we have three prisoners for you, but I imagine it won't be long before Global Justice arrives to take them off your hands."

"Aren't you with Global Justice?" demanded one of the troopers.

"Yes, we are, but obviously in an undercover capacity. So it's important that we minimize our public contact with you now."

"We are still going to need some information from you," the other trooper told her.

"Call GJ and they'll give you all the necessary details."

"We don't want to wait," the first trooper said as he exited the cruiser.

"I'm afraid you'll have to," Kim told him flatly. If it bothered her that the trooper was almost a head taller than she, she gave no indication of it.

The driver also stepped out of the vehicle. He walked past the three prisoners, eyeing each of them in a dispassionate manner before moving over to stand in front of Ron.

"What about you? Where's your proof you're with GJ?"

Kim answered for her best friend. "As I already said, we are undercover. You really don't expect us to have our credentials on hand right now, do you?"

Neither trooper spoke.

"Fine. Looks like this conversation is about done." Kim reached out for the nearer man's hand and dropped two sets of handcuff keys into his palm. "These are for the prisoners. Your prisoners as of now. And here are the keys to their car. Their weapons are inside it. Have a good night, gentlemen."

Kim started off down the sidewalk at a rapid clip and Ron hurried after her.

"Get the box of Luke's stuff, please."

"Right."

"And don't keep looking over your shoulder, Ron. It... "

"Spoils the dramatic effect of our departure?"

"Something like that."

Another minute of walking brought them to the last intersection to be crossed before they arrived at the Dragonfly.

Ron gave his friend a sidelong glance. "Your limp seems to getting worse, KP."

"I so need to get back up to the room."

"Why's that?"

"I have to check on something."

"TV schedule?"

"Ah, not exactly."

"Well, what then?"

She sighed heavily. "I'm a little curious to find out... "

"Yes?"

Her teeth pressed down on her lower lip for a moment, then she extracted her hand from beneath the blanket and he saw there was a bright patch of scarlet on her upturned palm. "To find out how badly I've been shot."

* * *

(More Authors' Notes: Jack Bauer is the invention of Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

The above characters are used, and in the case of Agent Bauer probably misused, without permission of the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	6. Examinations

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**6. Examinations**

Saturday Night:

"Ow! Ron, that's like three times now you've banged my head against something!"

"I'm sorry, Kim! Really, really sorry."

"Why don't you just put me down? I asked for a little help with the stairs, but I can still walk down a hallway."

"No, this is our room. But the door is locked. The door is locked and I don't have the key. KP, I don't have the key!"

She clamped a hand over his mouth to stop his voice from reaching an even higher volume and said softly, "You do have a key, Ron. It's in your right front pants pocket."

Suddenly Kim had to throw an arm tightly around his neck to keep from tumbling to the floor. When Ron had retrieved the key and returned his right arm to beneath her lower back, she started to let go but then decided it would be safer to keep hold of him.

_In case he decides now's the time to scratch his nose or something. _

"Kim, they've changed the locks! The key doesn't work any more!"

"That might be because you're holding it upside down. Here, give it to me."

She opened the door and he darted through it so rapidly, it was only by the narrowest of margins that she managed to avoid another cranial collision. Ron kicked the door shut behind them and started for the bed.

"No, no, no!"

"What's wrong?"

"Do not put me down on the bed."

"Why not?"

She lowered her voice. "I don't want to get blood on the bedspread."

Ron started to spin in place as he looked for a suitable place to carry her to.

"Stop. You can't afford to make yourself any dizzier than you already are. Now back up to the door." She secured both locks. "Okay, now take me to the counter in the bathroom, please."

Kim got a quick look at herself in the mirror. Her face was filthy and the hair of her wig was matted down with dirt and sweat. "Ugh! Turn me around, quick."

Ron lowered her gingerly onto the countertop.

"Ahhh! No, never mind. Not enjoying the sitting. Standing up now." When she was back on her feet again, she took a deep breath. "Can you take these, please? And this, too?"

Ron accepted the cardboard box and the wig from her and threw them both in the corner.

"Hey!"

He grabbed the edges of the blanket she had draped over herself and pulled upwards until it was above her head. Probably he intended to toss that aside as well, but when he saw the blood stain it concealed, he let it drop to the floor. On her upper left thigh the fabric of her jeans had turned scarlet in a circle perhaps six inches across.

"Kim... "

"Ron, let's see what the deal is before we just assume the worse."

Kim started to bend over but stopped with a groan. She put one hand on his shoulder and pointed downwards with the other. "Could you please... ?" In a matter of seconds she was bare foot. "Okay, well, you could have left the socks on, but whatever."

He reached up to the waistband of her pants and then stopped himself. "I'm going to go and let you take over here."

"No. Better stay. This could get tricky because when the wound is exposed, it could start bleeding more heavily." She forced a smile onto her lips. "Just give your eyes a rest for like half a minute, okay?"

Ron not only shut his eyes tightly, he stood in the doorway and faced away from her. "Just keep talking to me, KP."

"Yeah, sure, play by play commentary coming up."

She unfastened the jeans and gave them a few experimental tugs downward. _What was I thinking, wearing pants this tight? Form fitting is all right for any other teenage girl, but for Kim Possible it's practically a death wish. I know they slowed me down during the fight. I'm just glad Ron didn't pay the ultimate price for my stupidity. _

_Just who did I think I was going to attract today, anyway? Some Stars Hollow hunk who would wow everybody at the Prom? Yeah, the boys back home won't even cross the street to take me out and I expected to hook up with a guy who thinks I'm worth a two thousand mile commute._

"You're not saying anything, Kim."

"Embarrassment has rendered me speechless."

"So you got them off?"

"No, I didn't."

Ron turned around, saw the jeans were now down past her hips, and quickly averted his eyes again. "Kim! You said you were still wearing them."

"That was just a cruel joke I was playing on you."

"Yeah, well, what's the deal?"

"My leg is swollen, or the blood has made the fabric shrink, or both. All I know for sure is that these pants are not coming off as is."

"So, we're cutting them?"

"Yes."

"Using what? The lipstick laser?"

"Uh, you are kidding about that, right?"

"Er, yeah. Just trying to lighten the tension a little. Ha ha."

"There are med shears in the first aid kit."

"And where would that be?"

"In my backpack."

"Which is where exactly?"

"You're wearing it, Ron."

He raised and lowered his shoulders a few times. "Oh, right. I just thought I was tired."

While Ron retrieved the scissors, Kim idly fingered the bullet holes in her sweater and then held it up to her nose. _Yeah, I don't think gunpowder is going to become a popular perfume ingredient any time soon. Man, do I need a shower! _Seeing he was still facing away from her, Kim yanked off her top and tossed it aside. She grabbed a towel off the rack and draped it over her shoulders. It was long enough to reach past her hips but not as far as the blood spot.

"I got 'em, Kim."

"Okay, let's do this."

She watched him grope his way back to her position. "Ron?"

"Yeah, Kim?"

"The thirty seconds is up. Can you look at me, please?"

His brown eyes snapped open, widened in mild surprise when he saw the towel, then locked onto hers. "What's wrong?"

_What's wrong is that you're all like, oh yuck, Kim has girl parts! _"You can't do this with your eyes closed. Or you could, but I'd sure hate to think what I'd look like when you were finished."

"Right. Good leg first?"

"Yeah."

He squatted down at her feet and started cutting upwards from the bottom of her right pant leg.

_He never used to be shy about things like this. When I started wearing a bra, admittedly much later than most of my peers, he joked about that for weeks. And we've changed into mission clothes sitting right next to each other in the back of government cars more times than I can count. Then there was the sitch where we got snowbound in the Andes Mountains and spent seventeen hours together in the same sleeping bag. Not a lotta personal space allowances for that one! _

_But it was always NBD back then. So when did that change? More importantly, _why_ did it change?_

He continued to cut though fabric until he saw her flinch suddenly. "Ooh, did I get you?"

"Ah, no, I don't think so. But please be careful. You know Cheer Regionals are coming up, and this year they're going to be televised."

"Oh, I'm supposed to 'be careful'. Now you tell me."

"Okay, Ron, bad choice of words on my part. You're doing a great job."

She saw him eye the blood stain again, as if trying to decide if it was increasing in size. "Time to finish this, Kim."

He got back into a regular pattern where his left hand would pull the cloth up away from her skin and the scissors in his right would make a small incision.

"Done!" he said triumphantly.

"Well, half done anyway. I think on this side you should work from the top down."

"It's definitely tighter over here." He looked up at her solemnly. "Kim, this one isn't going to be so easy."

"Then let's get to it. Cut along the outer seam."

Ron stood up and bent over so he could look downwards. A few snips severed the jeans down to the top of her thigh but there the denim was very taut. "There's no slack here to get the scissors in place."

"You have to pull on the fabric. Make it stretch."

His craned his head upwards and she saw a look of anguish on his features. "Kim, I could call-"

"Ron, it's probably been half an hour or more since this happened and the uncertanty is really starting to get to me. Not knowing how bad it is, I mean."

"Yeah, but if I make a mis-"

She put both her hands on his face. "Ron, it hurts."

His mouth opened in surprise at the words he had rarely, if ever, heard her speak. Then he gave a slight nod and tossed the scissors onto the countertop. Grabbing a fistful of cloth in each hand, he breathed in and out three times and then yanked in one continuous motion until the fabric had been parted down to her knee.

Kim realized she was squeezing his shoulders and pulled her hands away. Their eyes met again and in a rather shaky voice she said, "Thank you." She cleared her throat and her tone was back to something like normal when she added, "Okay, then. Let's see the damage." Peeling back the now scarlet denim, she said, "Well, that's... colorful."

There was a large pinkish oval where the fabric of her pants had wicked away blood. Inside that was a roughly rectangular bruise of varying shades of gray, yellow, and purple, while at the center of the injury jagged bits of silvery plastic protruded from small pools of crimson.

"What are those shiny sharp things?" asked Ron.

"The remnants of a cell phone that has deflected a bullet."

"A GJ phone?"

"No, mine. You know, Ron, between the top, the pants, and the phone, my already depleted bank account has suffered something like a three hundred dollar hit so far this weekend."

"Wow. This really is a worse case scenario."

She gave him a rueful smile. "Point taken. All right, so we need to get this cleaned up before we bandage it. Umm, tweezers. That's what we want. In the first aid kit. In fact, just bring the whole thing over here."

When he returned with the kit in hand, Ron saw Kim raising herself onto the top of the counter. "Hey, no straining anything!" he protested. "You should have waited for me to help you up."

"Nothing wrong with my arms," was her airy reply. She tried to be as casual about adjusting the positioning of the towel, covering what should be covered while avoiding bloody spots.

He set the box down and handed her the tweezers. She took them automatically but even as she did so, it occurred to her that he would have to do this as well. _However awkward it may be for him. And maybe for me, too. Yeah, but only because I'm feeling so grubby right now. I want to keep other people ten feet from me, not like ten inches. _

"Yeah, Ron, I don't think I'm going to be able to get in close enough for the detail work this is going to require. And the closer I do get, the more light I'll be blocking... "

He took the tweezers from her wordlessly, wiped the back of his hand against his mouth, and leaned in close. "Can you twist this way a little more? Is that uncomfortable? Okay, then, here goes."

One by one the plastic fragments were plucked from her flesh. His hands shook a little as he worked but she couldn't fault him for that. This was a delicate procedure he was performing and not for the squeamish.

_I wonder if he feels like I did during that emergency appendectomy on the Russian submarine we rescued. Helping people is what I live for, but when it involves cutting into a human being with a scalpel... _

He must have noticed her shudder because he asked, "Are you cold?"

"Well, I am practically na-not very warmly dressed here. But, no, that's not it. I... my brain is just kind of free floating right now."

He deposited another fragment on the countertop and set down the tweezers.

"Finished?"

"I got everything out that I could see. It least none of them seems to have gone in very deeply." An apologetic look came over his features. "I guess we both know what the next step is."

"Uh huh."

He retrieved a small plastic bottle from the first aid kit. "Ready?"

"Umm." _Oh, that stuff couldn't really be as painful as I'm remembering. Or the sensation last as long. No, that's just my memory playing tricks on me._ "Let's do it."

He extended his left hand and she took it in both of hers. Kim thought she was mentally prepared but when the liquid he had once dubbed the 'uber-antisceptic' made contact with her wounds, she almost became airborne.

"Fffffffudge ripple ice cream, I am so not enjoying this!" When she could open her eyes again she saw the pained look on his face. "Still beats watching pro wrestling, though."

He smiled at her although it seemed like he was about to start crying a moment before.

_Ron can be so incredibly sweet at times. I can totally see like ten years from now his wife is about to have a baby and he starts having full blown sympathy labor pains. Between her own contractions, the woman has to try to comfort him. She keeps one hand on her huge belly but the other caresses his face and speaks soothing words to him. Just who is this mystery woman, anyway? Tara? Amelia? Yori? They've all shown an interest in him at one time or another. But none of them are there in that hospital room. The woman about to give birth to Ron Stoppable's baby is actually... _

Kim pulled her hands out of his grip with a sudden violent motion.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, Ron. I was afraid, uh, afraid I was hurting you." It took a moment for her breathing to return to normal and he used the time to pull more supplies out of the first aid kit.

In a low, somber voice she told him, "We're going to hold off on the bandaging for a little bit."

"Why?"

"I need to clean up first."

"We just did that."

"I mean a shower, Ron. Not more disinfecting."

"Leave it for tomorrow, Kim. It's just us here."

_Yet another example that he accepts me as I am, whether it's grungy like now, or bossy and selfish and shallow, like so many times in the past. _"I'll be quick."

"Quick and shower usually don't go together for you. But I'm going to have to insist on careful."

"Q _and_ c, then." She held up two fingers on her right hand. "My promise from one Pixie Girl to another."

"Boy's auxiliary, KP!"

"Which you invented so you could go to the meetings my mom used to run."

"Hello! Massive quantities of cookies were handed out at those meetings."

"Okay. Granted. Any other reason to go?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "There might have been one other... "

"Uh huh." They exchanged knowing smiles. "Ron, could you bring my carry-on bag in here, please?"

He set the bag down in the spot she indicated and then spread out no less than six towels on the floor in front of the bathtub. "A slip and fall incident would not be good right now, KP."

He was almost out the door when she called out, "Hey, wait a minute."

She crooked a finger at him and he moved back toward her, a puzzled look on his face.

"So, uh, Dr. Stoppable. I just wanted to say thanks. For everything."

He gave her a weak smile and held a fist out before him. They tapped knuckles together and then he was on the other side of the closed door.

Kim removed the nose stud and placed it on the counter. She stood up, wincing a little as her left foot took half of her body weight. It's not just the thigh that was injured. Her ankle was still feeling the effects of a rather ungraceful drop from a tree to take out bad guy number three.

_I'll be a bit sore for a while, but as Ron pointed out, this was certainly not a worse case scenario._

She looked over at the door that separated the two teens. _Closed? Check. And I distinctly remember hearing the latch click into place as he pulled it shut. _

She started to take off the towel but found herself looking back at the door again. _Yes it's closed, but not locked. Why is that? He did hear me say I was going to take a shower, didn't he? Of course he did, he made the floor around the tub Kim safe. So what reason would he have for not locking the door? _

_No! Don't do this to your best friend, Possible. Ron didn't lock it because there wasn't any reason to. He's not gonna come back in this room unless you say it's okay and if someone else tried, Ron would stop them._

_Just because this trip seems to have accelerated your own mental breakdown doesn't mean Ron is going to turn into something he's not. He isn't the one who's been suffering insomnia because of weird visions of the two of us doing... adult things together. _

_Get your act together, Kim. Clean yourself up, physically and emotionally, or else this just might be the last mission either of you ever go on. _

* * *

Kim stepped out of the bathroom, looked at the bed and the two chairs, then realized her best friend was actually seated on the floor to her right.

She smiled down at him. "What are you doing, Ron?"

"Sitting."

"Looks more like you were standing guard. No, not guarding, listening. Is that it? As long as you could hear me moving around you'd know I hadn't fainted from blood loss."

He turned his head away from her which she took as a grudging acknowledgement of her question.

"Ron, c'mon. Look at me. And give me your hand." She pulled him to his feet. "Your concern is noted and appreciated. But I really am okay. So why don't we start paying a little more attention to how you're doing."

"I didn't get shot today. I'm fine."

"I didn't get shot today either. I was shot at but something stopped the bullet. It's happened to me before and no doubt will again."

"This is different, Kim. You can't pretend-"

Her forefinger pressed against his lips until he was rendered speechless. "I told you last night, husbands are to be seen and not heard. Now, are you gonna be a good husband?"

His brows knitted together in irritation but he gave a slight nod.

Kim pulled her finger away but then put both palms on his cheeks and tilted his head up so the ceiling light shone in his brown eyes. She watched his pupils contract, then covered and uncovered each eye in turn to repeat the process.

"Head still hurts, I'll bet."

"Maybe a little," he conceded.

Very gently, Kim began to probe his untidy blonde hair. When her fingertips brushed the spot where he had been struck by the butt of the gun, his eyes squeezed shut tightly and he emitted an involuntary moan.

"Just 'a little', huh?" Even more gingerly than before, she explored the bump on his head. "I guess the general consensus of the Middleton Consolidated School District was right afterall. You _are_ one hard headed young man. So, where else does it hurt?"

"Nowhere, really."

"Ron, you are starting to tick me off here. I know that... guy kicked you at least twice and I've also seen you favoring your left knee."

"I was a lot luckier than you, Kim. Just leave it at that."

"No, I'm not going to 'leave it'. I want to, no, I mean I need to see how badly you're hurt." _Yeah, Ron, that alarmed look on your face is a pretty clear indication you don't like the idea very much. It will be awkward for sure, and maybe even kind of dangerous given the way my brain has been working so far this weekend, but it's the right thing to do. Back in the pre-Moodulator days, I would be doing exactly this without any hesitation._

Kim tugged on his shirt front and he started to undo the buttons. A reassuring smile would probably have been welcome at that point but she couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with him. She couldn't think of any small talk either, until inspiration struck.

"Ron, tell me another memory of the two of us when we were young."

"Huh?"

"Like the gum throwing deal. I had completely forgotten about that and I'm sure there are many others I've also, um, I don't know, repressed."

"Yes, to protect the guilty. You were a wild child, Kimberly. I think-"

She pulled his shirt off and laid it on the closest chair. "Go on."

"The reason... the reason... " He had to take a deep breath as her fingers moved lightly across his torso.

"You think the reason... " she prompted.

"The reason I got better grades than you in the early years was because you were incapable of sitting still for more than a few minutes at a time."

_At first you think Ron has a hairless chest, but when you get up close you see that's not true. It's just that the hair there is so fine and golden, it's almost invisible._

"And you don't think your good grades back then had anything to do with a greater capacity for hard work?"

"Don't change the subject, KP. Do you remember the Kimmie way of sliding down stairs?"

"Meaning something other than butt on?"

"Fffffft. That was for wimps."

She fingered the higher of the two ugly bruises on his right side. "I know these hurt. But if I press down like this and you breathe in and out, what do you feel?"

"It really doesn't hurt that much, Kim."

"What about the lower one? Deep breaths, in and out."

"That one's not giving me trouble, either. Honest."

_Okay, so his ribs aren't cracked. No thanks to Mr. Combat Boots. Bastard! I should have broken both his arms. _"So, you were talking about stair sliding... "

"Right. The Kim method. You'd put on like three pairs of socks and scoot down. On your feet."

"Oh, man. I think I know now why my dad started going grey. What are these bruises on your back?"

"From falling down while wearing handcuffs and the backpack, I think."

_You mean being pushed backwards._ _Both arms and a leg!_

"Of course stair sliding was just one event in the Kim-lympics."

"Yeah?" She squatted down and started to untie his shoe laces.

"I don't remember all of them but the kitchen broadjump still stands out very clearly."

She pulled off one of his tennis shoes. "Which was?"

"You would climb up on top of your refrigerator and jump across to-"

"The dining room table! Well, actually onto that big plastic serving tray on the table. We'd use it like a toboggan and shoot off the table and down the hallway." She set his shoes over by the bed and straightened up again.

"Yeah, and I was always in the front," he protested. "I swear there's a spot on the wall there where you can still see the imprint of my head."

"Waah, waah, waah," was her unsympathetic reply. "Do you know to this day that tray is still hidden, if that's the right word, behind my mother's bedroom dresser?"

She tapped the back of her hand against his belt buckle.

"Can't you just roll up the pant legs?"

"No, Mr. Tight Jeans, I can't. Not far enough."

He yanked off his belt and threw it on the closest chair. "Man, could you climb. Like a monkey. Eww. Scratch that analogy. Unfortunate mental imagery."

"I'm passing you the brain soap," said Kim as his pants dropped down around his ankles.

She pulled them off the rest of the way and started to toss them toward the bed but he snatched them back. Holding them in front of his boxer shorts he asked, "Do you remember your first paying job?"

Kim knelt down again and looked at his knee. "Retrieving frisbees from kid's roofs."

"I think by First Grade there wasn't a tree or a house in our neighborhood that you hadn't been to the top of."

"It wasn't always for money though, Ron."

"What do you mean?"

She forced herself to look up into his eyes. "Sometimes I just wanted to show off. For you."

He hesitated, then admitted, "I know."

Afraid she would start to blush, Kim looked away. "Uh, put your hand on my shoulder." She gripped him by his ankle and lifted his leg up.

After half a minute of flexing, poking and questioning, Kim stood up and walked into the bathroom. Over her shoulder, she said, "Don't put those jeans back on. Get some shorts or a looser pair of pants."

She wasn't gone long enough for him to do either. Stepping back in front of him she said, "Hand."

Kim began to place pills in his upturned palm. "These will help with the bruises and the headache. And this one is an anti-inflammatory."

"Awesome. I always wanted to be fireproof."

She gave him an appraising look. _I don't think I will ever again know, absolutely know, when he's joking and when he's being serious._ "That means it will help with the swelling."

"Okay, but you remember I'm not good about swallowing pills, KP. Got any that are chewable?"

"You have trouble taking pills with water." She pulled a wrapped danish out of the pocket of the bathrobe she wore. "But you can manage with food, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you get those pills in you and I'll give out the Kim stamp of approval to continue on this mission."

"Meaning tonight? Soon?"

"As soon as GJ gets a car to us."

Ron sank into a chair, apparently no longer aware or concerned that he only wore boxers and socks.

"Take the pills, please."

_Okay now he's gone from ultra self-conscious to acting like we're an old married couple. Can't we just find some sort of middle ground here? _

She watched him eat the danish in a mechanical fashion, with no indication of enjoyment.

_It's so obvious he doesn't want to go out again tonight. Is that just because he's tired? Sore? Or is it something other than physical?_

_Ron has acted cowardly so many times that even I find myself believing it at times. But it's more accurate to say to his courage is... different. Little things freak him out. The one and only time I ever snuck out of my house was after getting a panicky 2:23 am phone call from Ron telling me that his bedroom nightlight had burned out. On the other hand, he and I have had more near-death experiences than most Special Forces soldiers and he is always amazingly calm when things truly look hopeless. As far as I could tell, none of our previous close calls have ever had any kind of lasting effect on him. Was tonight his breaking point?_

"So, Ron, you working on your tan here or what?"

He looked up at her, then down at the jeans laying crumpled in his lap. "Oh, right."

"Here, I'll trade you."

She handed him the other robe from the bathroom and he gave her the pants. He put the robe on and tied it but did not resume his seat. Instead he considered her thoughtfully from a distance of perhaps four feet.

"You did a good job on the make-up," he stated finally.

"Umm, well, thanks. Thanks a lot, because I'm not wearing any right now."

"You didn't get a bruise on your cheek?"

"No. Just a lot of dirt." _Although if your distraction plan hadn't worked I think the lady with the broken nose would have marked me up pretty good. Pretty good in a bad sort of way._

"Is your leg all bandaged up?"

"Uh huh." _He isn't going to ask to see it, is he? I mean I guess he'd have a right to, us being team mates and all._

Her hand had started to drift toward the belt of her robe when he asked, "Did you take any medicine?"

_Okay. Nevermind._ "Just what you did. Same pills, same quantities."

"Kim, uh, I have a favor to ask."

"Ron, I think I know what you're going to say and it really isn't necessary. This is an all volunteer unit we have here. You want to sit out a mission, for whatever reason, you just do it. There won't be any hard feelings or recriminations on my part, Ron. I promise you that."

He ran his thumb over the false beard. "Maybe we'd better sit down for this." After they each had settled into an armchair, he said, "What I was going to ask is that you stay here tonight and I go check out the werewolf house."

"So now it's werewolves?"

"You're saying it couldn't be werewolves?"

"No, not after Istanbul. But you're making this house sound too good to miss."

"I'd rather you did."

"Why, Ron?"

"We still have the GJ phones, we can stay in touch every minute of the way."

"Tell me why you want this, Ron."

"Kim, I'm asking you as a friend to please do this."

"You can't just throw my own words back at me and think that's all that needs to be said."

He nodded but didn't speak. Seconds ticked by as they looked at each other, then a tear started to roll down the side of his nose.

"R-Ron?"

"What happened to you down on the street, and whatever is going to happen to you this weekend, it's all my fault."

Matching his murmured tone, she replied, "I don't see how that could possibly be."

"I screwed up, Kim. I know, nothing unusual about that, but this is big. Bigger than any other mistake I've ever made before on a mission."

"Why don't you let me decide for myself just what we are dealing with."

"You left it to me to plan out the mission details, or at least coordinate them with Global Justice."

"Right. And it seems to me that you did a good job."

"Obviously I did not. Because I'm the one who decided that keeping Ron and Kim as our first names was okay. Melissa tried to talk me out of that but I wouldn't listen."

"Who's Melissa?"

"Melissa Harvey. The Global Justice agent I've been working with. She said choosing new names would be a good idea but I thought the fewer changes we made, the less chance there would be of getting our covers blown."

"Well, that sounds reasonable."

"It was stupid! Those gunmen, or people working with them, hacked into the computer records of the local inns and hotels, there aren't that many in Stars Hollow, saw there was a young couple named Kim and Ron booked into the Dragonfly, and just waited for the right moment to ambush us."

He wiped angrily at his eyes as new tears welled up.

_I cannot stand to see him in pain like this. It's hurting me as much as it does him, I think. Yeah, and did that stop you from bawling your eyes out earlier this evening? When was the last time I saw Ron cry anyway? Years ago, it seems, which makes me wonder if my own mental problems are starting to take a toll on him, as well. _

Kim got out of her chair and knelt down in front of his. "Ron, you may think you _know_ how the bad guys could place us in Stars Hollow. But it's just a guess. There are other possible explanations for that."

_The fact that I brought and used my personal cell phone on a secret mission seems at least as likely to be the reason. _"Listen, Ron. We're new at the whole undercover thing and maybe mistakes were made. By both of us."

He sniffed. "Kim, the only mistake you've made this weekend was to bring me along with you."

"Yeah, well, I know different."

"Like what?" he demanded.

_Man, you've got thirteen plus years as my best friend and you still haven't realized I don't like to admit mistakes. Not seeing a way to totally avoid this but I can fudge it a little. _"Like the jeans I had on earlier. A stupid waste of money because it's dangerous for me to wear something that confining."

"Since when are tight pants a bad idea?"

"Asked the teenage boy. If I really was a basic average girl, they would be fine. But I'm not and no amount of role playing is going to change me into one. Now getting back to the more important issue here, I don't want you beating yourself up over how things have gone so far. We've had other missons with stumbles or setbacks at the beginning. It's no big. Because it's the ending that matters and every single mission we have ever gone on has finished the same way."

Ron pressed his lips together but said nothing.

Kim stood up. Crossing her arms, she put on a mock glower and said, "Stoppable! Give me a three syllable word that starts with 'V'. Now!"

"Victory," he answered without much enthusiasm.

In her normal tones she remarked, "Okay, as your squad captain I can see some extra drills coming your way when we get home. But the answer is correct. You and I working together are an unbeatable team. Right?"

He nodded and asked in a voice thickened with suppressed emotion, "What did I ever do in my life to deserve a friend like you?"

She fought down the urge to make a maudlin reply. "I thought you were the guy who founded Club Banana under an assumed name."

"If I was, you'd... you'd... Well, a depleted bank account wouldn't be a worry of yours any more."

"And right back attcha when I inherit Bueno Nacho."

He let his breath out in a resigned manner and stood up. "Well, Kim, how's about we go put on our save-the-world clothes and take care of some business?"

"Now you're talking, partner."

"No point in putting it off, KP. Because if there's one thing I know about mummies, it's that the longer you keep them waiting, the madder they get."

* * *

(More Author Notes:

Thanks again to CajunBear73, DrBeat, Louis Mielke, keth1, ScareGlow, screaming phoenix, jlgreen, melissaeverlasting, Comet Moon, rebafan4ever, motorized-sasquatch, spectre666, Yankee Bard, daywalkr82, MrDrP, Joe Stoppingham, Pojko, eckles, and nutshak for reviewing. Thanks also to the people who put my story or myself on favorite or on alert. The only thing that prevents me from mentioning all of you here by name as well is the worry that I'd be violating a unwritten rule of the website you are currently visiting.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

They are used here without permission from the copyright holder but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	7. Idle Hands

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**7. Idle Hands**

Saturday Night:

"Okay, now if I was writing this story I would have had the Global Justice car show up as soon as we were both dressed in our mission clothes."

"Agent Tagore said it could be another hour, Ron."

"Yeah, well, this waiting does nothing to advance the plot."

"Riiight."

"Another thing I'd change about this adventure, fewer guns and more nacos."

"Uh huh."

"Oh, and the male lead, I'd make him ripped. Smarter, too. Independently wealthy, and completely irresistable to women."

"I'd settle for talks a little less."

"Now the starring female in our little drama is practically perfect in every way. But-"

"I knew there was going to be one of those."

"But she can be kinda stubborn. Pig-headed. Mulish. Obstic... Obstein... Okay, I'm out. But I think you get the idea."

"Yes. Yes, I do. But you don't. There isn't time for me to go get checked out by a doctor. And there isn't a need for it either."

"No, of course not. And anyway, getting treatment for a gunshot wound probably isn't even covered by your parent's insurance plan."

"You keep forgetting_, _Ron_. _The bullet didn't actually hit me_._ Something deflected it. Now, I know I'm not an MD. But I do have EMT Certification, umm, practically. I've examined both of us and judged that we are capable of completing this mission."

"I'm sure you're right about me. But I just don't think you can be completely objective about yourself."

"Yes I can," she said tightly. "And I was."

"Right. I heard you on the phone with the GJ Operator back down on the street. You were pretty insistent about them not sending out an ambulance. Why was that, Kim?"

"Well, I... "

"Could it be maybe that you were afraid that someone else with medical training would see how badly you were hurt and decide that you needed to go to the hospital?"

That finally got her to stop the incessant pacing around their hotel room. Instead, she folded her arms across her chest and gave him The Look.

_Oh, boy. _

"Stand up, Ron. And come over here."

With a show of reluctance, he climbed off the bed and moved to a position about five feet away from her.

"All right, KP. I just want to warn you that beating up your sidekick would seriously mess with your demographics. See, he's a kind of loveable loser type that audiences really identify with and-"

A gloved hand reached up and pressed his mouth into a closed position. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of doing that," admitted Kim Possible. Shifting her hands to his shoulders she said, "Okay, I'm going to remind you of something else you seem to have forgotten. About a year and a half ago, I promised I would never lie to you again. I've kept my word about that, Ron."

"I am _not_ accusing you of lying, KP! But isn't it possible that on an unconscious level you might be minimizing your injuries-"

"No, I am not minimizing anything! I know exactly how I feel and what I'm capable of at the moment."

"Uh huh, and does that include paying back favors?"

"What do you mean?" she asked warily.

"You owe me, Possible. Big time."

"Do I now? Who says?"

"You do. Or you did anyway."

"Okay, first, best friends don't _owe_ each other anything. They do things by choice, not obligation."

"Maybe. But they also keep their promises."

"Still waiting for you to start making sense."

"Last year. The BeBes. Wade's special shoes."

Her expression softened. "They amped up my metabolism. Even after we finally got them off, the effect didn't go away." In a still lower voice she concluded, "You stayed up all night with me."

"And a memorable night it was. I got my one and only kung fu lesson from you."

"Yeah, and you still need to get that neck brace back to my mother."

"We played every game in your house."

"And I lost them all because I couldn't concentrate. So you started reading to me."

"The Middleton Phone Directory. I think I got to the Qs before you finally crashed."

"You couldn't talk for two days after that." Her eyes took on a playful sparkle, and she added, "Good times, good times."

"Uh huh. But the ears still worked, and after you woke up you said that if there was ever a way you could pay me back, all I had to do was ask."

"And now you're asking."

"Yep."

"Couldn't I just do all your homework next year?"

"No."

"Become a spokesperson for Smarty-Mart?"

"Uh uh."

"Fix you up with Brittina?"

"Umm... Now you're just... You couldn't really... No! All I want is for you to stay here tonight. Let me be the one to check out the Frankenstein house."

She raised her fists head high. "Gahhh! Ron, sometimes I could just... I thought we settled this!"

"I heard what you said, KP, and I believe it. But that doesn't take away all the problems that are lined up against us on this mission."

"Such as?"

"No Rufus and no Wade, so that means the team was down to half strength even before the game started."

"Well, GJ can cover the Wade type support, just not anywhere near as efficiently. As for Rufus, umm, y'know I miss him, too. A lot more than I thought I would. But we will manage."

"But you'll agree that the managing would be a lot easier if you were 100 percent right now."

She gave him a piercing look. "That's really what this is about, isn't it? I'm injured now and that means I'm too slow and too weak to defend myself from any more attacks."

"Slow and weak are not words I would ever think to apply to you, Kim. But since you did, I'll play along. You got hurt and that means you _are_ now slower and weaker than when this mission started. That's undeniable."

"You're right. I'll be conservative and put myself at about, oh, say eighty-five percent combat efficiency. Not the ideal situation I suppose, but more than enough for what we may run into on the rest of this mission. Especially since the bad guys no longer have surprise on their side."

"KP, I guess that kinda makes sense, but I still have a bad feeling about tonight." He slapped his gloved palm against his midsection. "Right here."

"So now _you_ have the crummy tummy?"

He nodded.

"And that couldn't have anything to do with you trying to consume your own body weight in like four hours time?" Almost as soon as she asked the question, a look of pain came to her face. "Eww, Ron." She stepped forward and put her forehead on his shoulder. "That was a pretty nasty comment I just made. Can we strike it from the record?"

Her still slightly damp hair brushed again his face and the scent of her shampoo, like ripe fruit and flowers but with a hint of honey, filled his nostrils. In a croaky moan he answered, "Oh, yeah."

She straightened up and gave him a thoughful look. "Ever have misgivings like this before a mission in the past?"

"Nope."

"Well, you've got them now. So what are we going to do about it?"

"Let me go out alo-"

"Yeah, I already know _your_ idea, Ron." He saw indecision come over her features as her gaze traveled from his eyes to various places in the room and then back to him. "Okay, umm, let's sit down."

Ron started for the upholstered chairs, but Kim put her hand in his and pulled him toward the bed. Even when they were seated side by side, she kept hold of him. He twisted his neck to look at her and saw she was staring straight ahead.

"Bear with me here, Ron. These aren't the easiest things to talk about. Not for me anyway."

He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze and said nothing although his imagination suddenly jumped into high gear with possible topics she wanted to discuss.

"Okay. All right. You have somehow gotten the idea that in all our previous missions I was always at the top of my game. But that just isn't true. I get severe headaches and cramps on a... monthly basis which medication cannot completely control. I usually feel pretty lousy at times like that, but when a mission comes up I just endure it and go. And other than maybe being a bit more snippy than usual, I don't think you or anyone else can really tell what's going on with me."

"So back in our Sophomore Year, these 'monthly' events would come up like three times a day?"

"Ouch. I guess I deserve that. I think back now on some of the things I've said to you, or said about you, over the years, and I want to go crawl under a rock. That was a very stressful time for me and the more stressed I got, the more likely it was I would take it out on you."

He found his eyes kept returning to their clasped hands. _Doesn't she know that we don't have to do this when we're alone? Not that I'm complaining... _

"Um, so we've already covered temporary physical impairments. That still leaves the psychological sitch. Well then, for purposes of illustration, I am going to bring up a name that probably neither one of us really wants to hear again: Josh Mankey."

Without conscious thought, Ron suddenly found himself pulling back on his arm, but Kim seemed to have anticipated that reaction and tightened her own grip accordingly. Then her thumb stroked the back of his hand until the tension melted away from him.

"So from the first date I had with him to the last was more than a year. A pretty big chunk of my life. And yet you didn't know it was over between him and me until months after the fact. What does that tell you?"

_That it was too painful for you to talk about. _Aloud he said, "That you have the ability to successfully carry out missions no matter what may be going on with you emotionally?"

"Yes! Exactly! Now, are you starting to feel a little better about tonight?"

"Uh, getting there, yeah."

"Just 'getting there'? Ron, I feel like I am baring my soul to you! Maybe you don't think it's a big deal for me to talk about these things, but it is. I am a private person, usually, and revealing my deepest secrets isn't exactly fun."

"Then stop. It isn't necessary. If you're not backing out of this mission, then neither am I. Like the song says, 'where you lead, I will follow'."

"Even though you're convinced it's going to end badly?"

"Well... I _could_ be wrong. It happens. Hey, you saw what I got on my last Geometry test."

She pressed his hand tightly against her cheek for a long moment, then let go so she could stand up and turn to face him. Shifting her weight uneasily from one leg to the other, Kim said in a voice not far from a whisper, "Okay then, there is another secret to reveal about myself. Something that only three other people in the world, my parents and Nana, know about. I... I'm not like other girls, Ron."

"I see. Interesting."

"That's not the secret. I'm still working up to it."

"Oh, okay, because I did already know you were kinda unique."

"That's one way to put it. But there are others a lot less flattering."

"Such as?"

"Abnormal. Bizarre. Freak of nature."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm telling you about myself, Ron. My true nature. The reason you don't have to worry about me tonight."

"Which would be what?"

She breathed in and out. "I'm a lot stronger than I look."

"Okay. Is that still part of the build up?"

"No! That's the secret."

"Kim, you have pushed me, pulled me, or carried me out of dangerous places like a thousand times. I know you're strong."

"Not just strong. Unnaturally strong."

"For which the world should be unnaturally grateful."

"Ron, you just aren't getting it. I was stronger than my dad by the time I was twelve. I've beaten Barkin in arm wrestling. Twice."

"What!?"

"Yeah, although he didn't even know it was me the first time. But that's too long a story to go into right now. Oh, and the night of the Moodulator, when I picked you up and threw you, that wasn't because I had that chip on. I could do that any time I wanted to."

"So you're like Hego strong?"

"No, not even close. It isn't that I'm the strongest person in the world, or even the strongest woman. The point I'm trying to make is that given my gender and my... body type, I have a disproportionate amount of strength."

"Well then, what good is it?"

Her nostrils flared slightly as she took a few deep breaths. Then she stepped toward him quickly, gathered up two fistfuls of his shirt front, and began to lift. When his shoes were suspended inches off the floor, she said in a voice that showed no sign of strained effort, "I don't know, shock value, maybe?"

He looked down at his dangling feet, then back at her face. "I guess it could give you a bit of an edge in a fight, at that."

She nodded and gently set him back on the carpet. There were rosy spots on each of her cheeks now which might have been caused by exertion, but he was almost certain they were actually a sign of embarrassment.

"So what else can you do, KP? Shoot laser beams out of your eyes? Fly?"

The questions earned him an eyeroll. "Nothing that dramatic, Ron. Of course you've always known about the speed and agility."

"Olympic level speed and agility."

She shrugged. "I guess. I am also tougher, physically tougher, than would be considered normal. I've taken twenty, even thirty foot drops onto concrete and gotten nothing but a few bruises. And then when I do get hurt, I heal fast. Really fast."

Ron sat back on the bed. "I think this is -" His eyes suddenly locked onto hers. "Kim, do you... do you sometimes... hold back when you fight bad guys?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Ron, I hold back most of the time."

"Badical! No, wait. Not badical, just bad. Don't hold back, Kim. If the choices are a villain gets hurt or you do, then don't let it be you."

"I'm only talking about henchmen. If it's Monkey Fist or Shego, I go all out."

"Not so sure that anybody who signs on with Drakken or Dementor deserves that kind of consideration, KP."

"Right," she said distractedly. "So, Ron, now that you know the real sitch, are you sure you're still okay with the whole girl power thing?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

She sat down on the bed next to him again. "No reason. I was worried for nothing. I should have remembered you don't go in for that whole guy mindset."

"What's that?"

"You know. Where you believe that if you're born male then you gotta be," she tucked her chin down on her chest to deepen her voice, "A MAN."

He found himself smiling despite his feelings of emasculation a moment before. "Do that again."

"Do what? Talk like... A MAN."

"Well, I'm glad _one_ of us can pull that off."

She bumped her upper arm into his. "Don't be dissin' my best friend."

"Oh, no."

"Because that brings out my not-so-nice side."

Her words reminded him of the gunman whose arm she had broken earlier that evening. He wanted to ask if that really had been necessary to defend her and himself, and was still trying to think of a tactful way to word the question when she spoke again.

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I'm not wrong about keeping the hidden strength deal, ah, hidden, am I?"

"You mean from villains?"

"Well, them too, but now I'm talking more about people at school. Umm, about boys."

"Oh."

"I never actually put this to the test before, but I always believed that most guys would be a little freaked to find out something like that. I mean the Martial Arts deal is intimidating enough, right?"

"Uhh... "

"Of course it is! I'm a cheerleader. I've been around plenty of jocks over the years. I've overheard lots of their conversations, and I know what the desirable qualities are in a girl." She met his gaze for a moment. "No need to fill _you_ in on what those might be. But we both know that a good right cross doesn't make the list."

"Kim, I-"

"Sometimes I think that the only list _my_ name is ever going to appear on is the one for boys to avoi-"

Seemingly without conscious thought, his left arm crossed around the back of her neck and then his forefinger and thumb pressed her lips closed. Her eyebrows raised in surprise, but she made no attempt to pull away from him.

"You're right, KP. That _is _awesome."

He let go of her mouth and moved his hand to her left shoulder. "Does it work for teachers and parents, too?"

"I wouldn't advise that," she said softly. "Better keep it between the two of us."

He pitched his own voice even lower than hers. "Yeah, it's our bit."

"A private thing we won't share with anyone else," she murmured.

"A Kim and Ron exclusive," he agreed.

"Right. It's reserved for the... honeymooners."

Their gazes met once again, but now there was a strange intensity in her eyes that he found disturbing even although he had no idea what it meant or why it scared him. Ron turned away from her and opened his mouth to speak but there was a pause before any sound emerged. "KP, you would've had a boyfriend a long time ago if it weren't for the world saving deal. Lots of 'em."

"That's not the whole explanation, Ron."

"Well, you're right that there's one other complication... "

"What's that mean?"

"Me, Kim. I'm the complication."

"I still don't understand," she whispered.

He took a deep breath. "It's, ah, no business of mine to know any of the details of who you date, or how often you go out, or... "

_Or what you do on your dates. _

"Or any of that. But it's obvious, I mean it seems that, well, you just implied that dating wasn't easy. And the only possible reason for that, with all you have going for you, is that I scare the guys off."

His anxiety mounted as the seconds ticked by without a response from her, so he felt compelled to draw back his arm and add in a much faster pace, "Kim, I swear to you I never claimed to anybody, ever, that we were anything but friends. Well, actually there was one time with Shego when I sort of did but that was.. it was... a trick. Yeah, a trick to try to distract her."

"When were you ever around Shego without me?" she asked, suspicion suddenly evident in her voice.

"Not too long after the Zorpox deal. Remember your library book got... misplaced."

"Oh, that. Then you weren't really alone with her. Wade, or at least the Wadebot, was there too."

"Yeah, he was. It was. But my point is that we spend a lot of time together, and that confuses people. Gives them the wrong idea about us."

There was another lengthy pause before she asked, "Ron, did you ever think that it was a two way street? That our friendship keeps other girls from approaching you? Girls who know about you and me, I mean."

"No, Kim, I have not and do not think that. I've got a pretty good idea of what my life would be like if I never met you or we never became friends and it, uh, well, I wouldn't even wish that on Monkey Fist."

She cleared her throat softly. "Well, we could talk more about that. Maybe we even should. But dating is another one of those topics that we seem to have decided, silently decided, shouldn't be discussed between us anymore. Whether that's smart or not, I don't know. But I do know I don't ever want to have another fight like we did the day after the embarrassment flower business."

"That had nothing to do with dating," he snapped. "What you did that night was the-"

"Don't use the 'S' word, Ron! Do not let that pass your lips again if you know what's good for you."

He could meet her gaze now, could see her narrowed eyes and the way her brows drew together. He could also see those lines disappear from her face after a few seconds.

Her voice was lower than ever when she said, "Because there's no need to tell me something I already know."

He gave her a quick smile and started to pat her thigh, but decided that was too intimate of a gesture for 'best friends'.

As he drew his hand back she said, "That leg's okay, Ron. It's the left one that got hurt."

"Oh, yeah." He brought his palm down twice very gently and very quickly on a spot about three inches above her right knee.

"You brute. Now I'll _have_ to go to the hospital."

"Yeah." Ron gave a quick longing look at the hands now resting in her lap. "Actually, Kim, I do know what's good for me."

"Oh?"

Considering his own hands briefly, Ron thought, _Oh, man, am I glad that mission gloves cover things like sweaty palms and white knuckles. _"We talked a lot about fears last night, but I never told you which was the biggest for me, did I?"

She shook her head solemnly.

"It's that someday you... you won't be in my life anymore."

"Don't see that happening any time soon, Ron."

"But I do."

She sighed. "Is this still about me going out to the Whateley House?"

"No. I'm okay with that now. How could I not be after your... demonstration? If only teachers could do more showing and less telling."

"Maybe you could get a petition going."

"Now there's an idea, KP. First thing Tuesday morning I will-"

"Okay, Ron, okay. But you started to say something about... a fear."

"Well, yeah, but maybe this isn't the time."

"Maybe it is."

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did you ever bring this up? _

"Talk to me, Ron."

_Make up a lie, quick!_

"Still waiting," she said, bumping their arms together again.

"I-I just worry sometimes that something will mess up our friendship."

"Like what?"

"Just stuff, okay. Leave it at that."

Seconds ticked by in silence before she said tonelessly, "I guess I owe you another apology, Ron. I see now I've been a little too sappy this weekend, going on and on about my own secret fears and dating problems, and just generally being a crybaby. Yeah, sometimes literally.

"But that's done now. Time, past time, to get my head back on straight again and start acting like an almost adult. Even best friends can only stand so much whining."

"Kim, I never, ever, said or thought that there was a problem about you telling me what's bothering you. I always want to hear it, the good and the bad."

"It can't happen anymore, Ron."

"Why not?"

"I'm not going to open up like that again."

"Don't say that, Kim. You can tell me anything!"

"No, I can't."

"Yes, you can. You should. I want you to."

"Obviously, you do not."

"I do! Honest."

"No."

"Yes!"

"Ron, if you really, really want me to share things with you, private things, things that are hard for me to talk about... things that are scary, then you have to be willing to do the same for me."

His head twisted left again. She was smiling slightly, and there was a warm, inviting look in her eyes. "Tell me what you think could ever break up our friendship."

He swallowed hard, but the sudden lump in his throat didn't go away. "The boyfriend sitch."

"Am I the only one paying attention in this conversation! We just established that I don't have one of those! I've never had one."

_Okay, obviously that's a bit of a sore point for you. _"But you will, KP. Soon. I know it."

"Well then, your distance vision is better than mine. But even if you're right, I don't see how it hurts the two of us."

"It's unknown territory, Kim. We can't predict what the consequences will be."

"Meaning I finally get a guy, and the next day I turn blue and evil."

"Yeah, okay, never mind. I knew it would be wrong to bring this up, now or ever."

"Wait, Ron. Don't shut down on me. I really do want to understand this. And I don't mean to belittle your feelings. But I just need more information here. Why would a boyfriend affect you and me?"

"He might... he might be... jealous. Some guys are like that. Even when there's no reason to. Or right to."

Kim dropped her tone to match his. "Jealous? Of our... friendship?"

He nodded slightly, his eyes focused only on the carpet now.

"Jealous of how... close we are?"

Another nod.

"Of how I spend more time with you than anybody else?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"The experiences we've shared on missions? The way we have to depend on each other to stay alive?"

"Yeah."

"Of how nobody, not even my parents, knows me like you do?"

There was a thoughtful tone to her last sentence and when Ron turned to look at her, she was facing toward the opposite wall with her eyes unfocused.

He considered her profile. _Josh Mankey, you and me will never be best buds, but right here, right now, I feel for you, dude. To have once had the affection, maybe even the love of somebody like Kim and to know it's gone now has gotta just tear you up inside. Sure, Tara is cute and sweet, but you will never find another girl, make that woman, with the inner and outer beauty that Kim has. _

"I know what this is really about, Ron."

He snapped back to the here and now with a jolt. "I... You do?"

"Yes. Finally figured it out."

He was sure the green eyes now directed toward him could see right inside his brain and suddenly his heart felt like a monster truck had just parked over it.

"This imaginary boyfriend you talk about is just a symbol. The real problem is between you and me. About how we see each other."

_Oh man, here it comes. She knows now what you've been hiding from her the past few weeks, and the thought of it is going to make her wanna blow chunks._

"You worry about a new boy in my life because... because I'm such a lousy friend to you."

"What? That's crazy!"

"I wish it was, but I know better." She smiled, but it didn't dispell the hint of sadness that had come to her expression. "You complain a lot that school comes so easy for me. Sports and the popularity thing, too. But there's one area where you've always had me beat."

"What's that?"

"Letting me know how much you value our friendship."

"Well, you don't say that a lot, KP. But I know it."

"Seems to me you have your doubts, Ron. Otherwise, why would a new guy in my life be a problem?" Without waiting for an answer, she said, "Because you think a boyfriend, or a new hobby for me, or even spending more time with Monique, will somehow push you out of my life. And that's just not true."

"Cool," muttered Ron.

"I'll never be a mushy, gushy person. Always gonna be more comfortable with sarcasm than sentiment. I guess there just wasn't enough room left in me for a softer side after they got done pouring in the muscles and all the other... mannish traits. But that's not going to stop me from telling you at least once that I am so, so glad that you're in my life and I hope that never changes."

"Wow, KP... I, uh... Man... " He put his arm around her again and hugged her tightly, while she squeezed him around the middle.

That lasted for several seconds before she pulled away and slid back on the bed so she could pivot to face him directly.

"Yeah, and because I've gotten pretty used to my daily dose of Ronshine after all these years, I thought I'd share an idea of mine with you."

"Okay."

"You understand now, this just popped into my head a second ago, and I haven't had a chance to really think it through."

"Sure."

"Now you might see this as a bit of overkill, and maybe it is, but I think it could take some of the worries out of our future. Futures."

"Right. Let's hear it."

"Yeah, so, I just thought that you and I, the two of us, and I do mean both of us, because this has to be something we would both agree to-" Her cheeks flushed and she gave him an embarrassed smile. "Oh boy, I thought those other things were hard to tell you... I... I... Sorry, I need a tissue first."

He snatched up several from the box on the table and thrust them into one of her hands.

Kim blew her nose and walked over to the wastebasket in the corner. "Okay, then. Here goes. So, Ron, what I am trying to suggest, in my own oh-so-eloquent way, is that-"

She gave a start when the Global Justice cell phone in her pocket rang out.

_No, no, no, NO! Not now!_

Kim let her breath out slowly and put the phone up to her ear. "Hello?" Her eyes looked into his as she listened, but her face was blank now. And very pale. "No, stay there. We'll be right down." She thumbed the disconnect button and returned the phone to her pocket. "GJ car is here," she muttered.

"Yeah."

"So, um, we'll talk again when we get back."

"Right." He started walking toward their backpacks.

_And Ron Stoppable becomes the butt of yet another cosmic joke. Oh yeah, me and the writer of this little laugh_ _fest are gonna have words. _

* * *

(More Author Notes:

Action will _finally_ resume with next week's post but I wanted to take a moment now and publicly acknowledge the debt my story owes to Cloud Monet. This is the pen name for a Kim Possible fan whose insightful, thought provoking posts are a real highlight of the RonStoppable DOT proboards89 DOT com forum. Future chapters of "Undercover" will show I have a somewhat different take than him on the long and winding road that lead to the "Out there, in here" line of "So The Drama." But still, it was Cloud Monet's theories and speculations that first got me to realize that the relationship between Kim and Ron was like an iceberg in that there was so much there below the surface.

Check out his excellent KP fan fiction here on Fan Fiction DOT Net, while the same stories along with original artwork can be found at carlmillerpoems DOT com BACKSLASH cloudmonet DOT html.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

They are used here without permission of the copyright holder but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	8. The House on the Hill

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**8. The House on the Hill**

Sunday Morning:

_Well, if you have to go explore a spooky house, the traditional expectation would be to wait until after midnight._

Kim Possible glanced quickly at her wristwatch.

_Check. And just any night isn't enough. Try to pick one that's very cloudy and there is almost no moon. _

She turned her head skyward.

_Double check. Now, let's see. What else can we do to make the outing even more interesting? I know, let's set the house in the middle of a densely wooded old growth forest where half the trees are dead and there is just enough of a breeze to rattle their branches together and make me think every other minute that someone is sneaking up on us._

_Where's Ron? _The teen looked over one shoulder, then the other before spotting him about thirty feet back and to her left.

_Gahhhh! Why can't he keep up? _

She forced herself to take a few deep, slow breaths. _Ron isn't doing that to irk you, Kim. He's tired and he's sore from all the physical abuse he has suffered tonight trying to protect you. And he's also probably about three quarters convinced that you are losing your mind. Of course if that call from Global Justice had come even a few seconds later, it would have removed any last doubt of it. Forget being repeatedly shot at, thinking of what I almost said back at the Inn is by far the scariest moment of this weekend. _

_Sure, Kim, sure. It sounded reasonable at the time to propose a pact between the two of you to never let an outside romance interfere with the friendship. But then, that wouldn't exactly be a huge sacrifice on your part since you've never had a real romance in your life. After thirteen months, two weeks, and three days it finally sank into your thick head that there would never be any kind of meaningful relationship with Josh Mankey. The time you spent with him was casual and infrequent, not because of mission work or the friendship with Ron, but because that was all Josh ever wanted from you. And as pitiful as the whole JM sitch turned out to be, it was still pretty much the high water mark in your interactions with the opposite sex._

_Ron, on the other hand..._

_So how exactly would this 'pact' work, Possible? If it had been in effect last year, would he have had to call you to get the go ahead before... spending time with Madeline and Louise? Under the terms of this arrangement, do we limit how many dates the other is allowed in a week or a month? Is advance permission for a date required or would it be okay so long as you tell your 'best friend' about it within twenty-four hours? And what would the veto procedure be anyway? If you can't agree on a prospective love interest, does that mean you go to a neutral third party for arbitration?_

_Yep, this was definitely a case of being saved by the cell. _

Kim surveyed their immediate vicinity again. Wade's night glasses did an excellent job of allowing them to see in low light conditions like this, but they were still not going to pierce tree trunks or shrubbery. _And I've had the feeling we were being watched ever since we left the car. _

Turning back to Ron, she saw he was now standing still and looking downward intently at something. She moved to his side with all the stealth she could manage on a forest floor littered with twigs and dried leaves. By following his line of sight, Kim became aware there was a good sized snake on the ground about six feet in front of them.

_Okay, I really should have pushed the idea of a nap for Ron on the drive out here. Sure, I was on the phone with Mr. Doose and Agent Tagore most of the way, but hey, Ron did once fall asleep mowing his lawn..._

Pitching her voice just high enough for him to hear, Kim said, "I don't recognize the exact species, but I'm pretty sure it's not poisonous." She looked at him and gave a quick smile. "Anyway, we can probably outrun it if we need to."

"Hope it doesn't come to that," Ron muttered. "And Kim, before you start with the 'he's more scared of me than I am of him' line, watch this."

He took a few steps to his right and the snake wriggled over in that direction as well. When he moved to the left, the snake did the same, although it maintained an equal distance from him.

"Okay," whispered Kim. "That's... different."

As an experiment, she gestured for Ron to step back. She moved closer, and the snake immediately shifted its attention to her. When she realized it would now keep pace with her, Kim started to maneuver it to a spot halfway between the two friends. Ron then moved into the snake's circle of awareness and kept it distracted while Kim readied herself to capture it from behind.

A small part of her brain registered the fact that this operation had started without her needing to explain any part of it to him. Their years of experience working together, coupled with the absolute knowledge that each would support and protect the other, was all the advance preparation they needed.

_No words required. That's good because words are the real danger this weekend. _

Kim's right hand darted out and seized the animal about six inches below its head. She lifted it off the ground, and her left hand clamped on to its lower body two thirds of the way down.

The snake writhed in her grasp and its surprising strength almost allowed it to escape Kim's grip. But after half a minute of furious struggling, it went limp.

"All right," said Kim. "I'm going to take it over to the ridge and-"

The rest of the sentence turned into an inarticulate moan as the snake's tail suddenly wrapped around her left wrist and then wriggled inside the sleeve of her mission shirt. It was quite cold against her bare skin and left a shiny trail wherever it touched her.

She had to endure the situation for perhaps three seconds, three long seconds, before Ron got his hand on the snake's tail and pulled it away from her arm. Kim kept her hold on the head, and together they walked over to the spot where the ground fell away in a twenty foot drop.

"Ready and... go," said Kim as they swung the snake over the edge and released it. She was about to say that the fall wouldn't injure it when something hurtled down from the sky and grabbed the snake in mid air. There was a flutter of wings and then it disappeared into the treetops.

"Whoa!" Kim said. "That was an owl, I think. A big one."

Ron nodded as he pulled off the mission glove that had touched the snake. Then he used his bare hand to open a side pouch on her backpack and pull out the disinfecting wipes within. He handed them to Kim after she had removed both her gloves and she went to work scrubbing her left wrist and forearm.

Several wipes later Kim said, "Usually snakes don't bother me, but for that one, I'm making an exception." She gave an exaggerated shudder. "All right, the house is only about one hundred yards away-"

A soft thump told them something had landed on a spot farther up the slope and it rolled to within ten feet of where they stood.

Kim gave the area a thorough survey before walking over to consider the fallen object. It was a part of the snake, or another with identical markings, about a foot in length and jaggedly severed at each end.

She turned back to Ron and wondered if her own expression matched the slightly queasy look he now wore. "Nature. You gotta love it."

A quarter of an hour later they reached the crest of the hill and saw a large building of a dark gray stone. The exact shades and textures differed, and its steep roof was pierced by a large turret and several mismatched gables. Bay windows bulged out at various points along the upper floors, but no two of them seemed to be on the same level.

_What description did the GJ Agent dig up for the Whateley House? 'It gives the impression of having been designed by a committee of asylum inmates.'_

"How are we getting in, Kim?"

_Good question. _They had certainly engaged in outright breaking and entering on previous missions, trusting to luck, youth, and/or reputation to avoid any legal consequences. But it was different now because they were clearly and undeniably operating under the direct purview of Global Justice.

Once each year since the start of high school, Kim had forced herself to read all 719 pages of the United Nations charter that GJ operated under. She knew agents of that organization were given considerable latitude in apprehending so-called super-villains. These privileges included warrantless searches and bypassing customs when crossing international borders. But you had to justify your actions after the fact by detailing what evidence you uncovered to prompt those actions.

_Something tells me that an off-hand remark by a local diner owner isn't going to cut it. Although once we're inside, and we can find evidence of illegal activity-_

Kim wasn't consciously aware of sound or movement above them, but she was suddenly prompted to grab each of Ron's arms and yank him a half dozen feet to one side. A moment later something landed on the spot they had just vacated. She didn't have to lean over too closely to see this was the head and upper body of the snake.

_Okay, apparently nature doesn't have a whole lot to do with this after all._

Kim looked back at Ron. "You want to know how we're getting in? Any way it takes, legal or otherwise. Let's go."

Agent Tagore had forwarded them a satellite picture of the house, so Kim was certain that this was the correct structure, and she knew they were seeing it from the back. The two teens moved in a wide circle along the edge of the hilltop so that their lower bodies were less exposed to observation by anyone inside.

_Maybe I'm being too cautious now, _Kim thought to herself. _If there was any light at all inside that house, it would show up like a beacon through our night vision glasses. Although, if nobody is home, why do I feel more certain than ever that we are being observed right now?_

They kept walking with the house to their left. The ground floor of the structure had no windows, but after a few minutes circling they could see a massive wooden door that seemed better suited for a European castle.

_All right, if this is the front of the house, then over here will be the... Yes, that's it. Hmm, when you actually see it in person the wild stories seem a little less... implausible. _

The ground rose higher beyond the house until it peaked about one hundred yards away and on the highest point of the hill was a large circle of roughly shaped stone pillars. Some had toppled over, but several were still crowned with massive slabs of rock.

Agent Tagore had said there were sites like this scattered throughout New England, and scientists had widely differing opinions on their age and purpose. The first Europeans to discover them believed that they were associated with Devil worship and that human sacrifices were conducted within those circles.

"It sort of looks like they're on fire," said Ron in a soft voice.

There was a rippling indistinctness to the stone columns which suggested tendrils of smoke, but there was no visible flame. The effected areas shifted quickly from one part of the circle to another, much too swiftly to be caused by drifting smoke.

Kim was about to suggest that they turn their attention back to the house when the haziness suddenly disappeared. No, shifted. It had risen above the pillars and became temporarily invisible against the cloud filled sky, but then she realized it was actually moving in their direction.

Rapidly.

Without turning her head, Kim reached out and clamped a hand on to Ron's left wrist.

"When I say run... "

But before she could even finish the sentence, Kim recognized the futility of flight. The mist or fog or whatever it might be, was moving much too fast to evade on foot.

The teen stepped in front of her best friend, but he quickly moved to her side.

An instant later, they were enveloped by a swarm of dark fluttery things. At first Kim thought they were bugs or bats, but she then realized they were birds. Small grey and black birds with a patch of white at the breast so that it seemed like disembodied eyes were swirling in the air around them.

As if a switch had been activated, their three note whistling cries suddenly filled her ears. She put an arm over her face instinctively as more and more of the birds began to fly around them. They came close enough for her to feel the breeze made by their flapping wings, but they didn't actually touch her skin, hair, or clothing. Perhaps fifteen seconds later the flock rose up in unison and disappeared.

"Okay," said Ron after they had a moment to breathe again. "How bad did they get me?"

"What?"

"How many... decorations did they leave on me?"

"Ah... actually none. Me?"

"Nada. Do you know what they were?"

"I'm sure I've heard that bird call before," said Kim. "But I can't place it."

"They're whippoorwills," announced a rumbling bass voice behind them.

How he could have crossed the space between them and the house since Kim last glanced in that direction was a mystery, but now there was a very tall barrel chested man standing about a dozen feet away.

To cover her sudden surprise, she remarked, "They were acting very strangely, don't you think?"

The man gave her a cold appraising stare before replying, "Perhaps there is some truth to the old legends, after all."

"Any particular one?" asked Kim.

"In the century before last, it was a commonly held belief that whippoorwills could sense the approach of death."

The teens exchanged the briefest of looks before Kim locked eyes with the man. "If we were the nervous types, that could almost be taken as a threat."

His response was to step closer and give her a contemptuous glare.

_Man, he's got to be close to seven foot tall with a build that makes Mr. Barkin look like... well, like Ron. His size is exactly what Taylor Doose described for Gideon Whateley, but he doesn't seem nearly old enough for a man whose father supposedly died back in 1928. _

Kim considered him more carefully. Below a thick mane of lank, yellow-grey hair that tufted out at the temples, he had a very broad forehead and beetling brows. His eyes were glittery chips of pale blue ice. Beneath a small thin-lipped mouth, a wispy beard did little to disguise the weakness of his chin.

_He looks like a goat. Okay, half goat. The other half is Yeti._

"Well, if we don't have long to live then we should get the introductions out of the way quickly. I'm Kim, this is Ron. And you are... ah... "

"You already know my name," he told her. "Just as I know why you are here."

Ron decided the time had come to join the conversation. "Okay, that works for the two of you. But for those of us who are attention deficient... ah... umm... I forgot what I was going to say. Man, I hate when that happens." He crossed his arms and tapped a forefinger against his cheek a few times. "Oh yeah. The library book. We want it back. And dude," he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "you better not have cut out any of the dirty pictures."

Whateley had no official criminal convictions, but one of the facts Agent Tagore was able to uncover about him was that he had been barred from museums and reading rooms around the world because of the mysterious thefts that followed his visits.

_I wouldn't have chosen that particular tact,_ Kim thought to herself. _But if the goal was to throw Whateley off balance, it appears to have succeeded._

There was an incredulous expression on his face as he looked from one teen to the other, and then around the area as if to reassure himself that they really had come here alone.

Finally he said, "If you want the book, come this way."

Whateley turned his back to them and started for the house. The two best friends exchanged rueful smiles before following.

The front door to the house was at least a dozen feet high, constructed of huge wooden planks bound together by bands of iron, but Whateley pulled it open without apparent strain. Although the house was dark from the outside, light poured out of the doorway. Perhaps he hoped that they would be temporarily blinded by the sudden illumination, but Wade's night glasses instantly adjusted to the extra brightness.

Ron gestured inside the house. "Age before beauty, Gideon."

With a glowering Whateley in the lead, they stepped into a large bare walled vestibule. The teens pulled off their glasses and glanced around them. There were stone staircases to the right and left, and another impressive wooden door directly in front of them. Whateley started up the right hand stairs. Ron moved to follow, but Kim put a restraining hand on his shoulder. When he looked at her, she mouthed the words, "Keep your distance from him." Only when Whateley was half way up the stairs did the teens start forward.

The man wore a long frock coat that almost reached the floor, but from her current angle Kim could see that his ankles were quite thin and that his unnaturally small feet were encased in cloth shoes more circular than elongated. Ron must have noticed this as well, because he wore a sour expression usually reserved for the offerings of their school cafeteria.

The second floor of the Whateley House was a large open space probably fifty feet square with an unusually high ceiling, but it still appeared cluttered by the multitude of items on display. There were statues and sculptures, paintings and tapestries, suits of armor, antique weapons, and a number of stuffed or mounted animals. They apparently represented fictional creatures because Kim didn't recognize very many of them.

"Wow, Giddy. All of this must have cost you a fortune. Oh, wait, I forgot. You're not so big on the whole paying for stuff thing, are you?"

_Ron isn't usually this aggressive about baiting the bad guys, and I'm not sure Whateley is the one to start with. Every instinct I have tells me he is a very dangerous man. _

"So Mr. Whateley, isn't it sort of risky letting us get a close look at your... collection like this?"

He turned slowly in Kim's direction. "Not for me."

"Meaning we won't live long enough to tell anyone else about it?"

"There were omens foretelling that event," he rumbled.

"I remember. Well, you strike me as a get-right-down-to-business sort of guy. What's holding up our demise?"

"You will be providing me with some information first."

"Or else what? You're going to kill us? You already told us that's a sure thing."

"Hey Giddy, that's like your second fox paz of the night. I think it's time to sign up for Villain 101 again. Maybe there's a discount for seniors-"

Ron fell silent because he noticed there was something different about his best friend. "KP, you're... shiny."

She held her hands up and saw they were giving off a faint reddish glow. Looking downward she saw her legs and torso were doing the same.

"It's all over," Ron told her. "Does it hurt?"

"No. I don't feel it at all." She looked over at Whateley again. "Your doing I suppose. So if I don't talk then I'm going to go through life with an aura. Well, Mr. W, as threats go, that's not exactly a-"

"What is your name?" demanded Whateley.

"Kimberly Anne Possible."

_Why did I just tell him that?_

"What is your ancestry?"

"I... my... " _Don't answer that, Kim. The first rule for heroes is to defy the bad guys, not tell them whatever they want to know. But I don't seem to be able to control my words anymore.. _"My father is Dr. James Timothy Possible. My... my mother is Dr. Anne Cedrella Possible."

"Her maiden name?"

Kim pressed her fists tightly against her thighs as she struggled to resist the force of his will. "I... am... not... not... " She fell to one knee, then the other. "R-Ron... "

Hearing his name seemed to shock the teen into action. He stepped forward until his body was between Kim and Whateley. As soon as he did, the commanding presence in her mind was gone. But the relief she felt was short lived because now Ron was the one glowing, albeit a light blue color.

_I guess the colors are gender specific,_ decided Kim as she stood up. _But Ron isn't going to be able to resist Whateley's force of mind any better than I did so I need to..._

_Okay, why is it different this time? _

Ron's glow increased until he was completely enveloped in a shimmering ball of azure light, but there was no sign of distress on his features. Instead he smiled and said, "What's wrong, Gid? Can't find your way in?"

Whateley raised his clenched right hand and pointed a ring with a large purple jewel directly at Ron. The blue glow became more incandescent and a soft crackling hiss could now be heard, although Kim wasn't sure if it was coming from Ron's direction or from Whateley.

The stalemate continued for several more seconds then ended abruptly with a faint, anticlimactic crunching noise. Whateley looked at his ring and saw a tiny plume of smoke rise up from the cracks in the purple crystal. He eyed each of them in turn and growled, "You'll both pay a price for that."

"Those are strange words coming from you, Whateley."

"You are a Squib, female, and so are not worthy of my attention. But you boy, interest me."

"Ehhhhh. Oh-kay. That's flattering, I'm sure. But, even though it's entirely one-sided, I'm going to maintain my interest in girls."

"It's your family line that concerns me, whelp."

"Oh, well let's see. Dad runs a support group for kleptomaniacs and Mom gives fashion advice to elderly shut ins. Umm, crazy thought here. Maybe, we could arrange-"

Whateley had apparently reached his limit. He started toward Ron, but Kim moved quickly to place herself in his path. From a distance of about six feet she stated, "You've got to go through the Squib to get to him."

Whateley stared contemptuously at the girl who barely reached his shoulders. After half a dozen heartbeats he growled, "You don't fear dying?"

"No one was ever talked to death," she replied calmly.

Kim knew Whateley had a clear advantage in reach, and, almost certainly, in strength. But she felt it was a reasonable assumption that she would at least be his superior in speed. That proved not to be the case.

The teen found herself hurtling backwards several feet before coming to an abrupt stop against a wooden display pedestal.

_Okay, how many bad assumptions does that make for me this weekend? _

Seeing that Whateley was not pressing his advantage for the moment, Kim touched the underside of her wrist gingerly to her lips. It came away with traces of blood which explained the sudden coppery taste in her mouth. She ran her tongue over her upper and lower teeth and was relieved to find everything in its accustomed place.

Ron helped her back to her feet. "When this starts up again," she told him softly, "You're going to make for the stairs."

"Don't think so, KP."

"Yes, you are," she said tightly.

"Uh uh."

"Ron, don't you get it? _I'm _the distraction here. I'll keep Whateley occupied while you search the other floors of the house."

"Kim, I-"

"Take this," she commanded, thrusting the lipstick laser into his palm. "It's for locked doors or... whatever else gets in your way."

She risked a quick glance at his face and saw defiance give way to resignation. _Of course. Leaving me alone here now is the very last thing he wants to do, but when did he ever put his wishes ahead of my needs? _

"Ron... " _No, Kim! Watch what you say! _She cleared her throat. "Uh, don't think I've forgotten that we have a study date, mister."

He gave her a solemn nod and a half smile.

Kim smiled back and then turned to face Whateley again. "So, I'm still waiting for an explanation on what a Squib is."

She could see his eyes glance briefly toward the stairway. _Good. That must mean Ron is leaving. But there are so many reasons why I wanted him here with me... _

Whateley was looking at her again. "You might have been right to not fear death," he growled. "Because that will be the only escape, the only mercy shown to you this night."

"Maybe, but it won't be your mouth that makes it happen." Kim hoped Whateley would come to her but he stood his ground impassively. _Well, sure, it isn't his best friend who's gone off alone to explore a house of horrors. _

Kim made a wide circle around the man, but he kept himself facing in her direction. She walked within a dozen feet of him and then pulled the hairdryer grappling gun out of the pouch that rested on her right hip. She pointed the gun at him but no fear showed on his features.

_Okay, so either he knows this really isn't a weapon, or he just doesn't think there is anything I can do to hurt him. No time like the present to find out which. _

Kim squeezed the trigger and the grappling claw passed within a foot of his left arm before sinking into the wall behind him. Whateley never flinched.

"Even at this range you miss? Your fear betrays you, wench."

Kim kept her eyes on Whateley even as her finger adjusted various controls on the grappler. "No, and no again."

She jumped forward a micro second before pulling the trigger. The retract function kicked in to further increase her speed and when her shoe heels struck his upper chest, he was knocked right off his feet.

Kim would have, should have, immediately followed up the attack, but crashing into him had sent waves of pain shooting out from her left thigh and ankle and caused her brain to shift to neutral. She rested her head against the wall, panting for a long moment until awareness of her current situation returned. Kim threw herself to one side an instant before his foot created a large hole in the wall she had been leaning on.

_That was really stupid. Just because the medicine I took reduces the pain, doesn't mean the injuries go away completely. _

Kim found herself on the defensive, back pedaling and dodging blows that seemed to come closer and closer. His feet may be small, deformed even, but they could still inflict incredible damage. At one point she moved behind a wooden chest the size of a large stove, and he converted it to kindling with a single kick.

_I have got to turn this around,_ Kim told herself. _To go on the offensive. But how?_

Kim risked coming a little closer, and the breeze from one of his kicks fanned her face. He recognized it as the nearest miss so far and immediately followed with a punch directed toward her face which she avoided by an inch or less.

But his eagerness to inflict damage upon her got the better of his judgement, and he left himself open to a snap kick to the belly. _Right leg only, Kim!_ He wasn't hurt badly, but at least it made him pause in his attack. She jumped upwards and landed with a shoe on each of his shoulders. From that position she aimed a kick that struck squarely on his mouth, and then she dropped back to the floor while hammering him with both elbows as she moved past his face. When her feet were on the floor again, she kneed him in the groin and gave his midsection each fist in turn.

There was a blank look on his face for a moment, then he shook his head irritably and Kim had to throw herself backwards to avoid the hands suddenly reaching out for her throat.

_This guy is a freakin' tank! I can't outfight him so I need to come up with a plan. C'mon, Kim. You must have inherited some part of Mom and Dad's brainpower. The Tweebs didn't get it all. _

But it wasn't easy to think when you were chased by someone more than a head taller than you and three times your weight.

_Of course he's also like four times my age, although that doesn't seem to slow him down any. _

Kim noticed the grappling gun on the floor in front of her and moved quickly to retrieve it. She knew he wouldn't fall for the same trick twice, but it was still comforting to have the device back in her possession.

_After the Kimmunicator itself, this is probably the most amazing thing Wade has ever invented, and that's saying a lot considering all the gadgets he's given me over the years. _

_Well, duh. That's it. If you're not smart yourself, make sure you have smart friends. _

"Whateley! I'm tired of you wasting my time. You want me; here I am."

Conversely, her words caused him to stop moving toward her. There was an animal wariness on his face as he asked, "What game is this?"

"No game. I just decided that I'm not running from you anymore."

He advanced to within ten feet of her and stopped again.

"Come on," said Kim in the coaxing tone one might use with a timid puppy. "Don't keep me waiting."

Whateley's eyes roved around the room before returning to hers.

"It's still just the two of us, Gideon. Time for you to carry out those promises you've been making."

Still he hesitated.

_Well, I wish he was closer but I'm just going to have to make very sure of my aim..._

Kim took a small jar from her equipment belt. "Here. Maybe this will win you over."

She took off the lid and tossed the open container underhand in his direction. Whateley moved to bat it away, but just before his hand made contact with the jar, Kim squirted a fuchsia colored goop at him. It formed an adhesive bond between the jar and his fingers so he could not shake it away.

Whateley tried to pull at the jar with his free hand, but it also became entangled in the elastic putty. He growled in rage and crumpled the metal jar as if it was paper. This caused the knockout lip gloss within to spread over his hands and more of the anesthetic gas it contained became airborne.

_I've used that stuff to put down elephants, but I'm not going to count on it being enough by itself to deal with Whateley. Gotta keep him off balance. _

Kim pulled out the hairdryer grappler and aimed it in his direction. Whateley howled as the metal pincers of the grappling claw bit into his right calf. He reached down as if intending to pull the mechanical claw away, but realized just in time that if he touched it, his hands would stick there as well.

Instead, he bent over and gripped the cable about three feet from the end and yanked it. Kim was almost thrown to the ground by his sudden action and did find herself being pulled toward him as her shoes slid along the floor.

He couldn't pull the cable hand over hand because it stuck to his fingers wherever he touched it, so he had to keep looping the line around his wrists and forearms to draw her closer.

Kim fed out another twenty feet of cable and backed farther away.

_So much for standing my ground, _she thought bitterly. _Why isn't the gas working?_

_Why don't you have a date for the Prom? _

_Why aren't you an only child?_

_Why don't your parents understand the importance of a generous clothing allowance? _

_Life is what it is, Kim. Deal with it. _

She started to slowly circle Whateley, but had another close call when he lunged at her just as she moved in front of a large stone rectangle that resembled a sarcophagus. It cut off her retreat route so she had to jump straight up to avoid his grasping hands and the loops of cable that protruded from them.

Her injured left leg, possibily combined with general fatigue, meant the leap was not as high as would ordinarily be the case. She did rise upwards enough to get a second kick off from the back of his head so that she moved well clear of his reach, and he was propelled face first into the stone container.

From a distance of twenty feet or more, Kim stood hunched over with her hands resting on her thighs and breathed in and out rapidly. Even a few seconds in close proximity to Whateley was enough for her to begin to feel the effects of the knock out gas.

_Please, please do not let me pass out now!_

She pinched herself painfully a few times and the fogginess in her brain seemed to clear a little. Kim looked back at Whateley and saw he was leaning against the sarcophagus, pulling himself to an upright position.

_Oh good, play time isn't over yet. _Kim moved over to where the grappling gun lay on the floor and picked it up. She gave the cable an experimental yank, but he was still strong enough, awake enough, to resist her attempt to pull him off his feet again.

Whateley swiped at the fluid oozing from the corner of his mouth. Apparently the light here was bad because to Kim's eyes his blood looked more forest green than crimson.

He started moving toward her in a slow, but relentless manner. "In your research on me, did you learn much about my mother?"

Kim shook her head as she started backing away.

"That's a shame. You two have much in common. School age girls with more boldness than brains. Like you, she wandered somewhere she shouldn't have gone and spent the rest of her short life regretting it. My parent's... courtship was brief but memorable. So much so that when I was born five months later, it was in the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers."

"And now it's _my _turn for the fate worse than death?"

The malevolent look he gave her was answer enough.

"Whateley, you're forcing me to take some drastic measures here." Kim took off her watch and pressed a few buttons until the display numbers began to blink. She held it out at arm's length and squirted some of the pinkish goop along the band.

Her opponent had stopped moving toward her and now Kim was walking in his direction. Whateley's gaze moved from her face to the flashing of her watch.

"Forty nine seconds, Whateley." Kim thrust the watch toward him and was gratified to see him flinch. She tapped a spot on the back of her left glove and wheels came down from the soles of her shoes. At the same time a mechanical arm placed a skating helmet on her head. "You'll understand that I don't want to be too close for what comes next."

Indecision showed on his features as he tried to decide whether to flee or rush her. Kim started to swing the watch back and forth by the tip of the band, his eyes intently following its every move. She feinted once, twice, then lobbed it underhand in his direction. Whateley threw himself to one side and missed seeing her activate the rocket boosters for her skating shoes.

Kim held the grappling gun tightly in both hands. He was unprepared, off balance, but at the speed she was now traveling, there would still be a considerable impact when the slack on the line was gone.

The cable suddenly became as rigid as an iron bar. Kim felt a painful jolt in her wrists and the shoulder the line was resting upon, but she remained on her feet and kept her grip on the gun's handle. Her forward momentum slowed, then picked up again as the rockets continued firing.

Whateley was dragged across the floor on his knees and elbows for perhaps fifteen seconds before he regained his footing. Once he was upright again, it was a simple matter for him to reach out to grip a stone pillar he was being dragged past. Instantly, Kim was jerked backwards and she would have probably been knocked unconscious if not for the helmet that cushioned the impact of her head against the stone floor.

As soon as she was capable of coherent thought again, Kim switched off the rocket skates and scrambled back to her feet. Whateley had let go of the pillar and was moving toward her, pulling futilely at the bunched up cable in his hands as he walked.

Kim snatched up the grappling gun and quickly ejected the cartridge holding the unspooled line. She holstered the gun and reached behind her to the bottom of her backpack.

_Where is it? Where is it? s_he asked herself as Whateley moved closer and closer. _Found it! But there has to be a clicking sound that tells me the cartridge is locked in place. Twist it this way. No. The other way... Yes! _

He must have noticed a sudden look of triumph on her face because he hesitated once more.

"It's over, Whateley. And you are under arrest."

"And if I don't surrender? Another exploding watch?"

"That was a bluff. Obviously. But I'm serious now. Deadly serious. If you resist any further, you are going to get hurt."

He started forward again, and Kim pressed another button on her glove. The sides of her backpack parted and a pair of metal cylinders projected outwards. Touching the button again caused flames to shoot out, and Kim rose up from the floor just ahead of Whateley's grasping hands.

Hovering a dozen feet off ground the teen asked, "Change your mind about surrendering?"

"No. It would interfere with my plans for you."

She nodded, paused for a brief moment, then set the jetpack for maximum acceleration. Almost instantly Whateley was airborne, pulled along on Kim's path to the far wall. She eased off on the speed control after two or three seconds to avoid a collision with the wall ahead of her, but her passenger had no way to stop his own forward momentum.

Whateley slammed backwards into the wall and dropped heavily to the floor, but almost immediately he started to rise up again.

_Amy certainly gave you her best work, _thought Kim. _But you really should have insisted on more input with the whole looks thing. _

Aloud she asked, "Give up?"

"You'll know when I'm through with you," he snarled and started to pry up one of the stone floor tiles. No doubt he intended to use it as a thrown weapon against her, but Kim wasn't going to give him the chance. She rocketed off for the opposite wall and reached a greater speed than before. This time Whateley's impact seemed to shake the entire house and puffs of plaster dust drifted down from the ceiling.

He lay motionless for several seconds, then his bound hands started to reach slowly for the inside of his coat.

_It could be nothing,_ she told herself. _Or it could be a gun, maybe even another mind control device. I'm not going to take any more chances. _

She caused Whateley to crash into walls twice more, then hovered up close to the ceiling and looked down at him. He hung limply, motionlessly, from his bound arms. There was more of the dark green liquid visible on his face now and his eyes were closed.

Her stomach lurched, and she had to keep telling herself to breathe so that she wouldn't throw up.

_He's dead. Kim Possible has taken a human life. This isn't a sitch where a henchman may not have been able to escape from a lair explosion that I indirectly caused by blowing up a villain's doomsday machine. Through my direct and deliberate actions, the world's population has been reduced by one. I just killed a man. _

_People will have to informed. Hello, Global Justice? No, we don't have a prisoner for pick up. But we do have a corpse. _

_What will Dr. Director say when she finds out? And my parents? Do I tell them? _

Kim was still pondering those questions when she noticed Whateley's fingers twitch. For half a minute, she watched him intently and saw the action repeated twice.

_Okay, so he's alive. That's good. Isn't it? Well, I won't dwell on _that _too closely. But if he isn't dead, then he's still potentially dangerous and that means he needs to be immobilized. _

With a great deal of effort, Kim was able to lift up the cable and wedge it over the top of an ornate cornice of the closest stone pillar. Whateley's feet were now suspended about three feet off the floor.

Kim fed out more line and started to fly in circles around the pillar. Each orbit wrapped another loop of cable tightly across a different part of Whateley's body, and she did not stop until there was a hundred feet or more securing him in place. She unsnapped the line spool from its jetpack mounting and twisted it inside a gap in the restraining lines to hold it in place.

The teen came to rest gently on the floor a few paces from her captive and switched off the jetpack thrusters.

Reaching into her pants pocket for the cell phone, she thought to herself, _Okay, I make a quick call to GJ, go find Ron, and then maybe, just maybe, we can actually be back asleep at the Inn before the sun comes up. _

At that moment something slammed into her from behind. Hard. Hard enough to force her down onto hands and knees and send the phone skittering across the floor. Her attacker wrapped an arm around her throat, and before she could attempt to free herself, something else struck at her from the right. Kim was flipped onto her side and looked up into a face only remotely human. It was slate grey in color, hairless, noseless, with red eyes that had diamond shaped pupils, and a mouth full of irregular needle-like teeth.

And in every direction she turned, Kim saw more creatures just like it shambling her way.

* * *

(More Author Notes:

Wilbur Whateley appears in "The Dunwich Horror" by H. P. Lovecraft. Apparently, however, Mr. Lovecraft either never knew or chose not to reveal that Wilbur had a son named Gideon.

Squib is a term used by J. K. Rowling in her Harry Potter book series.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All these characters and concepts are used here without permission of the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	9. Darkness Gathers

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and **GRAPHIC** violence.)

* * *

**9. Darkness Gathers**

Sunday Morning:

"Tell me again what you are searching for."

Ron Stoppable gave an exasperated sign. "Not what. Who. A woman named Amy Hall. Write it down and maybe you won't have to ask for a _fourth_ time."

"All right. Do you have a pencil I could borrow?"

"No."

"A pen? I can be flexible about the color."

"No!"

_Only in my world,_ thought Ron grimly._ I risk death and dismemberment sneaking through a super-villain's lair, rescue a prisoner from the threat of who-knows-what kind of whacked out scientific transmogrification, only to find that instead of a babe-licious cheese heiress, I'm stuck with a thirty year old guy who doesn't seem to have flown too far from the cuckoo__**'**__s nest. _

_Okay, maybe that's a little harsh. Kirk Gleason doesn't seem to be a Whateley style nut case, but still there is definitely something off about him. His voice is emotionless, and his face never changes expression. _

"So, anyway, dude, how long were you in that cage?"

"Nineteen hours, forty-six minutes," answered Kirk.

_And suddenly I'm reminded of school. That, and the fact that Kim is almost always right. About everything. This guy is kinda on the scrawny side and if I had talked her into waiting another day to check this house out, he might not have been around to see it. _

_Still not so sure if the plan for KP to deal with Whateley alone was such a good move though._ "Okay, so we need to pick up the pace here."

"Right," said Kirk. "What are you going to do now?"

"Well, I have one more level of the house to check out, maybe two."

"I see. And what are you searching for?"

"Come on!"

They went up another flight of stairs and looked through three different rooms, all filled with haphazardly stacked boxes and crates. Most of them held old books, although there were also vases and bottles, carved figures, antique knives, and other assorted loot from a half century or more of museum thefts. But all Ron cared about was finding Amy, and she was nowhere to be seen.

The last door to be checked on this level turned out to be locked.

"Are you going to use that laser device to open it?" asked Kirk.

"Yeah."

"Then I'll just move back over here."

"Aw, man. I barely nicked you last time. I bet it's already stopped bleeding." Ron paused for a moment. "Ah, actually that's not a bad idea."

The wood was inches thick but no match for the cutting power of Wade's invention. When the beam had completely severed the locking mechanism from the rest of the door, it swung open noiselessly and they were suddenly hit by an odor that somehow managed to be both acrid and cloyingly sweet.

Between coughs Ron muttered, "See, Mom, I told you there were worse smells than my freshman year gym clothes."

Kirk stared into the darkness beyond the open door, then back at Ron. "I think I'll stay out in the corridor this time."

"Right." _Maybe this guy isn't so strange after all. Because the really crazy thing to do here would be to... _

With a shake of his head, the teen stepped through the doorway, rounded a corner, and found himself in near total blackness. From the fourth pocket he checked Ron retrieved a flashlight, although its narrow beam did little to dispel the intense gloom.

_Yeah, but now I can see all the cobwebs around me, rather than just imagine them. Great. _

He turned another corner and could make out a twisting stone staircase leading upwards toward a still more foul smelling destination.

At the top of the stairway was another massive wooden door, also locked. Ron started the familiar ritual of searching through his pants pockets, and the first thing his fingers touched were his night vision goggles.

_Oh, right._

He dropped the flashlight into the pocket that held the lipstick laser and put on the glasses.

_Ah, this is so much better. Just look at all the crawling, oozing bugs around me that I would have missed seeing. And feeling..._

"Ahhhhhhh!"

He spent the next half minute frantically brushing insects from his clothes, skin, and hair before getting to work on the door. When he had it open, the concentrated stench within struck him like a physical force.

_Okay, this blows, and I'm about to do the same. _He pulled his shirt up over his mouth and nose, which seemed to help a little, although his eyes were starting to water.

The room was circular, about fifteen feet across, with windows all along the wall. There were a few tables and chests scattered about and at the center of the chamber was a huge throne-like chair that seemed to be carved out of some glossy green stone. Beneath the windows was an elevated parapet and when Ron stepped up and looked out, it became clear he was at the highest point of the Whateley House.

_This is like his 'Inner Sanctum'. He was probably saw us from up here when we were walking toward the house. _

Ron tried to open two different windows but couldn't figure out how to unlatch either one. He hesitated for a moment, then remembered the sight of Kim wiping the blood from her mouth where Whateley had struck her. In a matter of seconds, the teen had broken open every window in the room.

He filled his lungs with fresh air and daubed his eyes. The breeze that now wafted through the room caused flames to leap up from the bronze bowl suspended beneath a metal tripod almost as tall as he was.

_He's burning some kind of dried plant. That's what that horrible smell is. _Ron noticed a large glass jar beside the tripod. It held a thick, clear liquid and lotus flowers with black petals were floating inside. _All very interesting I'm sure but what really matters here is DNAmy and she's still missing. Well, nothing else to do but go back down and tell Kim I struck out. _

Ron had started for the stairs when something shiny caught his eye. He moved closer to the table next to the stone chair and saw an ornate silver colored key lying there. It was nearly five inches long and covered with a weird alphabet that he didn't recognize. Ron began to pick it up, but as his gloved hand came nearer, the key began to shimmer and suddenly there was a prickly feeling inside his brain. He drew back his hand and it faded away immediately.

_Man, does everything in this house have magical properties?_

Ron reached for the key again and as his fingers came closer, the sensations inside his mind returned. Now, however, they were accompanied by images as well.

_These are all memories of mine, happy memories._

He saw himself baking challah with his grandmother, finding that huge box of Fearless Ferret comic books at a garage sale, getting his motor scooter as a Middle School graduation gift. Mainly though, the memories were of himself and Kim together. He saw again the proud smile she wore at his bar mitzvah, how she wrinkled her nose when she forced herself to touch Rufus for the first time, sticking her tongue out at him from the stage of their elementary school auditorium after he had volunteered her to be a story teller's assistant, the way a look of terror had become a big grin when she realized he had not tumbled off that cliff on their second mission to the Himalayas.

More and more visual memories floated through his mind's eye, but one image prompted him to actually pick up the key. He was surprised at first by its weight, but that was quickly forgotten by the new clarity and detail of the remembered time.

It was 5th Grade Halloween. That was the one when he and Kim had painted their faces and hands green, put on fright wigs, and bundled into an old overcoat of his dad's to become a two headed monster (Ron's idea). They had won the school prize for most creative costume. But at the moment of time he was looking at now, the overcoat was draped over the back of the chair he was sitting on and the trophy was almost buried by the pile of candy wrappers that covered the Possible Family dining room table.

_So this must be after the Trick or Treat action,_ decided Ron. _I wonder if this is the time Kim ate so much chocolate she got sick. She has definitely got a sugar rush going on here, which is pretty scary considering how hyper she could get back then. _

_He watched a ten year old Kim Possible run around the table several times, then decide to start jumping from chair to chair instead. Since he refused to get up from his seat, she jumped over him as well. _

_When she got bored with that, Kim clambered up onto the back of the chair closest to him and balanced herself on one foot, then the other. _

_"Ron, look at this. Ron, do you see? Look at what I'm doing, Ron. Ron! Are you even watching me?"_

He smiled at the high pitch of her prepubescent voice, then marveled again at the incredible completeness of the scene that played out before him.

_This is more than just a vivid memory. I couldn't possibly be supplying so many exact details from seven years ago. The kitchen appliances the Possibles owned at that time, the slight difference in the color of the wall paint, the calendar hanging by doorway. Yeah, look at that calendar. All the writing, the information, is there for me to read. I refuse to believe that any part of my brain has stored the memory of what day of the week Halloween fell on back in Nineteen ninety- _

_Wait a minute. If this is just a memory, all of these visions are my memories, then why am I looking at myself from outside my body? _

_Because these aren't memories, although I do remember bits of what I'm seeing. Somehow this key has opened a window into the past. And the more direct my contact with the key, the more concrete the events are to me. If I was to touch the key with my bare hand, would that open up a portal, a gateway, that I could travel through? Could I change history? The idea of somehow being able to avoid Camp Wannaweep is very tempting. That would be, let's see, eight months away at this point. Plenty of time for me to talk my parents out of the idea. Yeah, and returning to a time when I was the only boy in Kim's life, the only guy she ever wanted to be around her, that might be even more appealing..._

The teenager groaned and slammed the key back onto the table.

_Okay, out of all the sick and wrong thoughts I've been having since Kim got the Moodulator, this has to be the most disturbing. Would I really trade adulthood for a second go round as a kid? Well... no. At least I don't think I would. But the fact that the idea has any attraction at all for me is still kinda pathetic. _

_I've gotta get back downstairs and make sure Kim is okay. But I'm not leaving the key behind. It's too powerful and Whateley has already shown he likes to use magic as a weapon. So I'll take it with me. But how exactly do I do that without touching it again?_

Ron glanced around the chamber and noted there was a large book lying open on a pedestal behind the green chair. He stepped over to it, started to pick it up, then paused.

_Wow. I don't really think of myself as a particularly sensitive person but I am definitely picking up some nasty vibes from this thing. It's wicked, evil. Could this be Bonnie's diary? _

He leaned over and examined the visible pages more closely.

_Latin. That figures. But this thing goes even beyond homework badness. _

He used the tip of his little finger to close the book and considered the faded writing on the cover. There were several words he didn't recognize and one that sent a chill down his back.

_Now I understand. _Ron picked up the book gingerly and ran a finger over the pale, cracked leather cover. _At least I hope it's leather. Wade once told me some editions of the __Necronomicon__ were actually bound in human skin. _He resisted a sudden urge to throw it to the floor and instead opened it up again and moved back to the table that held the key. Ron used his night goggles to sweep the key down onto the book and then slammed it shut. He shoved it into his backpack and darted back to the stairway.

"Oh, it's you," said Kirk when Ron joined him again on the lower level. "And you're alone?"

"I didn't find Amy if that's what you mean."

"What about the gray monsters? Did you see any of them?"

"What 'gray monsters'?" demanded Ron.

"The ones who captured me."

"You said Whateley captured you."

"Well, that's technically true. He directed the monsters who put me in the cage."

The teenager started fumbling through the pockets of his mission pants. "You think you might have mentioned this before now?"

"I'm sorry. I don't have a lot of prior experience as a prisoner."

Ron jabbed a button on the Global Justice cell phone and held it up to his ear. As he waited for the connection to go through he asked, "How many did you see?"

"I'm not sure."

"Are they big or small?"

"I couldn't say."

"Well, what_ can_ you tell me about them?"

"I don't have much of a theological background, but to me they look and act like demons from hell."

* * *

Two minutes and three embarrassing falls later, Ron was back down on the second floor of the Whateley House.

"Kim!"

"Over here, Ron."

"I can't see you! But Kim, there's supposed to be some kind of creatures around. Watch out for-"

"Yeah, over here."

She sounded a little out of breath, but he could still detect a note of irritation in her voice.

"Uh, you already found them, didn't you?"

"Yes, I-" She grunted, in pain or exertion, he couldn't tell. "I did."

"I tried to call as soon as I found out about them, but you didn't pick up."

"No hands free-" He heard the sound of breaking glass and then a heavy thud. "No hands free at the moment. And I would appreciate some assistance over here."

"Right, just another second, KP." He darted back to the stairway and saw Kirk had finally caught up with him. "My friend is in trouble over there and I'm going to help her. You can follow me or try to make it outside."

"Will you need an answer from me right away? I usually like to sleep on important decisions."

The sound of splintering wood behind them caused Ron to shout, "Now!"

"Are you sure you'll be able to pass my resume along to the director of Global Justice?"

"I told you, I'm in tight with Betty."

The man hesitated for an infuriating three seconds before nodding reluctantly.

"Okay then, here's what we're going to do... " Ron whispered a few instructions while gesturing at some of the artifacts on display near them.

A moment later the teen was adjusting the fit of the small bronze shield strapped to his left forearm and taking a few practice swings with a short sword of the same material. He wanted to call out to Kim again but knew there would be a better chance of success if he stuck to the plan he had given to Kirk.

Ron made a wide circuit around a large wooden box he thought might have been a mummy case, and then he saw the gray things. Kim's red hair was still visible even while surrounded by the creatures so the tallest of them was only about five foot.

_They still manage to pack a lot of ugly into a small space, though. Hell demons sounds about right. Either that or shaved orangutans with some kind of rotting skin disease. _

There seemed to be about ten of them, but it wasn't easy to get an exact count because they were in constant motion, jumping back and forth looking for ways to attack his best friend. She was holding her own, punching or kicking any of the creatures that got too close, but not even Kim Possible could maintain this kind of pace indefinitely.

_Time for the sidekick to step up to the plate. _

Ron lifted the sword and then brought the flat of the blade down sharply on the shield. He repeated the gesture again and again in a slow steady pattern until the clang of metal filled even this over-sized chamber.

He was pretty sure Kim had not seen his approach, but she was quick to take advantage of the distraction it presented. Her fists and feet struck out faster than Ron's eyes could follow, and he saw a number of the demon things go flying through the air.

The steady metallic clangor, combined with Kim's sudden switch to offensive tactics, seemed to make the horde less aggressive. Some of them started to wander away from her and look menacingly at Ron.

By accident or design, Kirk chose that moment to start banging together the two metal gauntlets Ron had given him.

The sudden appearance of another person, coming from the opposite direction of Ron, startled the creatures and as a group they began to back away from him and Kim. She sped up their departure with a few kicks and Ron charged at them with the sword leveled before him, shouting, "Hai! Hai!"

When Kirk started striking the metal gloves together more rapidly, the demons went into full retreat. But they only moved as far as the corner with the stairwell.

_Doesn't matter, _decided Ron. _Kim's not much on retreating, anyway. _

She had to take several deep breaths before speaking. With a quick look at the weapon he held, she said, "Ronicus to the rescue. Awesome."

"Well, I had help."

Kim turned to Kirk. "So I see. Glad you're okay, Mr. Gleason. The people in Stars Hollow were worried about you."

Without preamble Kirk asked, "Are you involved in hiring decisions for Global Justice?"

Kim consider the question for a long moment, then must have decided she had misunderstood him. "Say again, please."

"Global Justice. You work there, don't you?"

"Well, I-"

"She's been there as long as I have," said Ron hastily.

The briefest of looks between the two teens was enough to get Kim to play along. She asked, "So, when do our... coworkers get here?"

Ron put a hand to the back of his neck. "Ahh... pretty soon."

Of course she picked up on the insincerity in his tone. "I see." His unspoken news seemed to cause her shoulders to sag a little and she began to shake her hands at the wrists as if to restore feeling to them.

"Why are you doing that?" he asked in a low tone.

"Because hitting one of those things is like punching a bag of gravel. But that's still nothing compared to how my leg feels right now." Realizing she had just admitted to human weakness, she quickly added, "It's no big, though."

"Right," he said, after studying her face for a moment. "So, where is Whateley, anyway?"

Kim pointed to one of the stone pillars behind him.

"Hmm. Well, the gift wrapping is a nice touch." Ron stared intently at the man's chest for several seconds but still wasn't sure if he could detect any movement.

_Not our biggest concern at the moment, _the teen told himself. He looked over at the gray things and saw they were slowly returning to their position.

"Yeah," said Kim. "They're kind of relentless." She looked at her left wrist and he saw she wasn't wearing her watch anymore. "Keep an eye out in all directions."

She took her backpack off, set it next to Ron, then started walking around with her gaze focused on the floor.

_Your limp was gone for awhile, Kim, but now it's worse than ever. Come on, GJ! Give this girl a break. _

Ron thought she was looking for her missing wristwatch, but apparently she decided to do a bit of tidying up at the same time. There were a number of the goblin things lying motionlessly in different parts of the room, victims of earlier encounters with his best friend. Kim used spin throws to send them flying back in the direction of the horde.

But the fourth time she bent down to pick up one of the creatures, it immediately attacked her and they started rolling around the floor.

By the time Ron could get to her side, Kim was lying on her back with both arms straining to keep the demon's teeth from her throat. He brought the hilt of the sword down onto the back of the thing's neck with every bit of strength he possessed. When that didn't stop it, he struck again at the back of its skull.

After his second blow, Kim was able to push the demon off of her and scramble to her feet. Rubbing a sleeve of her mission shirt furiously against one of her cheeks, she exclaimed angrily, "That thing slobbered on me! I just know it's going to make me break out!"

It tried to rise up, but she kicked it in the face. Then she grabbed it by the closest ankle and started spinning it around. With the third complete revolution, Kim let go and it soared through the air. Ron would have been curious to see how much distance she could get out of a throw like that, but she had aimed it at the group of approaching demons instead. More than half of them were knocked down by the impact. The four still standing, however, kept moving forward at a steady pace.

_They're going to attack again soon. Can they somehow sense how tired and sore Kim is becoming?_

He took her by the arm and pulled her back toward where Kirk was waiting.

"But I never found my watch," protested Kim.

"Nana will get you a new one." Ron tightened his grip on her arm in case she thought about continuing the search, but Kim allowed herself to be led away.

They moved up close to Kirk and watched as the monsters advanced.

After a long moment of silence, Kim said softly, "We're going to be surrounded soon." She gave Ron a sidelong glance. "Time for you to be a real hero."

"By doing what?" He made no effort to keep suspicion out of his tone.

"Leading Mr. Gleason to safety."

"Uh huh. And what about you?"

"I slow the mob down a little and then follow."

"You 'follow' us? Interesting. So all the hobbling around I see you doing now is just to fool the monsters. Really you can move as fast as ever."

"Fast enough," she snapped. "So how about getting started while there's still a chance."

"What about your jet pack? Or the rocket skates?"

"What about them?"

"Do you have them with you?"

"Yes."

"And they're working properly?" She hesitated, and he added, "Remember your Halloween pledge, KP."

An internal struggle registered on her features for a few seconds, then she held up her left hand so he could see the severed wires protruding from the control buttons on her glove.

"So they're both out?"

She nodded grimly.

"Then we're staying until there's a way for all three of us to get away."

"Ron, just go... "

"Forget it, Kim." He turned to Kirk. "Dude, this is your lucky day."

The man looked over at the line of approaching monsters, then back at Ron. "What sort of luck would that be exactly?"

"The good kind," Ron assured him. "I mean Global Justice gets hundreds, maybe thousands of applications each year. But how many of those people have a chance to show what they're capable of out in the field on a real mission?"

"If you mean engaging in battle with supernatural demons, I would have to believe the percentages are pretty low."

"Well, there you go, buddy. Now why don't you go check out that cabinet over there and pick out some useful weapons."

Kirk had only moved a few steps away when Kim grabbed both of Ron's arms and squeezed tightly. Through gritted teeth she said, "Don't you understand what's going to happen here. Those things are going to keep coming until I... until they wear me down." Her hands fell limply to her sides as she saw their attackers moving toward them from every direction. "You should have gotten away when you had the chance, Ron," she said in a whisper. "Why didn't you go?"

"Kim, I think you already know the answer to that... "

They were still staring into each others' eyes when Kirk returned with three swords and a halberd.

"Whoa, look at you there, guy," said Ron. "What do you say, when we're done straightening up this mess, we go off and find a couple of dragons to take on?"

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Agent Pendarvis." She turned to Kirk. "I know things might be looking a little dicey right now, but if you can stay calm and," she gave Ron a quick angry look, "follow orders, we'll see you through this."

She took the weapons out of his hands and gave the swords to Ron. "You won't need these, Mr. G. We'll take care of any fighting that's required tonight. Now let's start moving in that direction. Stay together now."

The trio began walking toward the large stone sarcophagus, but there were a pair of goblins blocking the way. Kim was in the lead, and she got within six feet of the nearest monster before deciding they weren't going to give ground before her anymore.

"A couple more coming up behind us, KP."

"Right. Get ready to lay flat on the floor. And... now!"

Ron wasn't sure if Kirk would move fast enough, so he pulled hard on the man's arm and forced him downward. Doing so meant he lost sight of Kim's actions but he heard the whistling noise of the halberd blade slash through the air several times, a series of thuds, then the crash of a heavy object colliding with something breakable.

When the room was silent again, the teen raised his head up and saw Kim leaning heavily on the halberd. When she realized he was watching her, she straightened up and said, "We don't have long here. On your feet."

Ron stood up and helped Kirk to do the same. They stared from one to another of the five motionless demons lying around them until Kim snapped out, "Over here. Move!"

At her direction, they climbed on top of the sarcophagus and sat in the center of the lid, a slab of stone about ten foot by four which was carved with swirling hieroglyphs.

They had only just situated themselves when the remaining six demons started to circle their position. They spread out to every side of the sarcophagus so that Kim couldn't watch them all at the same time. When she would thrust the axe-like tip of the halberd toward one of the creatures that moved too close, two more would attempt to climb up onto the lid from opposite directions. Kirk seemed to have lost all the strength in his hands and the swords flew out of his grip one after another as he thrust out at the demons. Ron did a better job of holding his sword, but its shorter length meant fewer chances to get within range of their attackers.

So it was mainly Kim's efforts that kept inhuman fangs and talons away from human flesh. Minute after minute, Kim wielded the halberd in a blur of motion. Each of the six remaining monsters bore wounds from its double bladed head that did nothing to improve their appearance and yet seemed to make them even more determined to finish off the three intruders.

Then it happened. Two goblins somehow managed to grab hold of the halberd shaft at the same time and they pulled Kim off the sarcophagus. By the time Ron could lean forward enough to see over the edge, she was already buried in a welter of scaly gray bodies.

He looked back at Kirk for the briefest of moments. Ron could think of nothing to say so he just slid the sword over to the older man. Then the teen reached into one of his pockets and jumped down to the floor.

Ron had already decided on his course of action even before he saw one of the demons about to sink its teeth into his best friend's neck, but that image undoubtedly caused him to move faster. And more ruthlessly.

Again and again he fired the lipstick laser, and each beam struck another of the demons surrounding his best friend.

_They never make a sound, even when they're..._

After the last monster was down, Ron turned back to Kim and saw her pushing a motionless goblin to one side so she could rise up. He held his hand out to her, but she didn't notice or didn't want his help. The teen got to her feet unaided although it was obvious she wasn't putting much weight on her left leg.

Ron pulled his shirt off and started wiping away the drops of sticky blue-green liquid that had spattered onto her face, neck, and stomach. It was on her clothes in places, too, but he found that didn't clean off so easily.

Kim reached down and gently pulled his hands away. Her face was expressionless as she looked at him and several seconds elapsed before she spoke. "Wh-where's Kirk?"

"Ah, over here," came a voice from the other side of the sarcophagus.

"Come around by us," Ron called out.

The man appeared an instant later, the short sword in his hand. "I'm being followed," he said unnecessarily because by that point two more gray creatures had moved into view.

"Kirk, come over here by me," said Kim.

She held her hand out to Ron, and he reluctantly placed the laser device on her palm. "Both of you, stay behind me."

"Yes, but more of them are coming from this way, too."

Ron turned his head to see three, no four other demons approaching from that direction. He looked back at Kim and saw her staring down at the halberd, now in three separate pieces on the floor. Then her eyes moved around their immediate surroundings in a jerky, haphazard fashion, but she must not have found what she was looking for because her gaze returned to the lipstick laser.

Kim put the heel of her hand up to her forehead for a moment and mumbled something, but the only word he could make out was "Whateley." Their eyes met and she motioned for him to get down again. She used the device to gouge out a groove in the stone floor before each group of monsters in turn, but they stepped right over it. Then she hit two different demons in the leg but instead of convincing them to retreat, the horde started moving toward her more quickly. Before Ron had a chance to say anything, Kim ran the laser beam across the torso of each of the attacking creatures and they all fell silently to the floor.

Ron reminded himself to start breathing again and stood up. He put his hand on her shoulder. "There wasn't another way to go here, KP." She made no response and continued to stare straight ahead. "We didn't have a choice," he insisted.

Finally, she turned to him and said, "I hear helicopters. Several of them."

"I don't. Are you sure- Oh, okay, now I do." He gave her a smile. "Isn't that always the way things go for us. And why are you frowning?"

"Help me get to that window," she commanded.

He leaned close and she threw an arm over his shoulder. With his own arm around her waist to support most of her weight, they moved to the bay window on the nearest wall.

One chopper had already landed, another was just about to set down. Heavily armed figures in quasi-military uniforms were running to take up positions at different points around the house.

"It's all been for nothing," she murmured. "Every miserable thing you and I have gone through tonight and it's still going to end like this."

"Like what? Tell me what the problem is."

She turned her face away from him, but he could feel her entire body start to quiver as she struggled to keep hold control of her emotions. "I-I can't... "

"You can't tell me?"

"I can't fight anymore. I've got nothing left."

"Well, who says you have to?"

She pushed herself out of his arms so she could face him directly and he saw that her eyes were glassy from strain or fatigue. "Ron, that's not Global Justice out there."

"No?"

"No! Or the FBI either. I've worked with them, and the CIA, DEA, CTU, the Army, the Navy, you name it. But the people out there, the uniforms they're wearing, are like nothing I've ever seen before. So what does that tell you?"

"That, uh, I actually wish I was back at the Inn doing homework?"

* * *

(More Author Notes:

Kirk Gleason is on loan here from the Gilmore girls, which was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

The Silver Key and the Necronomicon are borrowed from H. P. Lovecraft.

The hallucinogenic properties of the Black Lotus plant are mentioned in the writings of Robert E. Howard, who is sadly no relation to this writer, but is still my all time favorite author.

CTU, or more properly the Counter Terrorism Unit, was invented by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

The above characters and concepts are all used without permission of the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	10. Taking A Stand

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**10. Taking A Stand**

Sunday Morning:

"Is there a problem here?" asked Kirk Gleason. "It seems like there's still a problem."

Ron Stoppable looked briefly at his best friend, but found no encouragement in her troubled eyes. "Ah, it's cool, dude. Whateley's been captured and his demons are... all in pieces."

Kirk pointed at the window. "And the paramilitary forces coming out of those helicopters? I shouldn't worry about them having different uniforms from the two of you?"

"We're special, Kirk. You should have picked up on that by now."

"All right but it-"

"Can you give us a head count?" interrupted Ron. "Let us know the exact numbers we're dealing with."

"Do you mean people or weapons? Because it looks like each of the soldiers down there have three or four guns."

"People," was the unhappy reply.

Turning his back and lowering his voice, the teen said, "Kim, if I've become the team optimist then maybe you're right, it's panic time. But before we start writing our epithets-"

"Epitaphs," she corrected automatically, and then when her grave expression was replaced with a faint smile he completely forgot what he was going to say.

Kim took a deep breath and shook her hair back behind her shoulders. Then in a completely normal tone she told him, "Call GJ. Find out what the sitch is."

As Ron pulled his cell phone into view, Kim gestured Kirk over to them.

"I counted fourteen people but I may have been off a little because of their camouflage gear. And I can only see one side of the house right now so we should probably at least triple the count. "

Kim Possible placed a finger up close to her lips and then pointed at her best friend.

_Man, does she look hot when she does that, _thought Ron._ But then, really, when doesn't she?_

"Agent Tagore speaking," came a male voice over the line.

"Yeah, it's uh, ah... "

"I know who you are, Mr. Stoppable."

"Well, that's always a pleasant surprise. So, we were just wondering what the latest was on our requested backup."

"The GJ team is still about... fifty-five minutes away but Delta Green should have arrived by now."

" 'Delta Green' ", he repeated for Kim's benefit. He saw her consider this for a moment, then nod with approval. "But isn't she married to one of those guys from Simon & Simon? I'm not sure that's exactly the kind of assistance we were looking for-"

Kim snatched the phone away from him. "Is this Agent Tagore?" Her eyes narrowed as she listened intently. "No, that was good work on your part... Right... Just make sure they know the house has been secured... Okay, thank you."

She handed the phone back to Ron. "I've never worked with Delta Green before, but I've heard of them. They're a top secret Federal organization created to combat supernatural menaces. You'd know that too, if you spent less time watching TV and more reading the emails I forward to you from Global Justice."

"Uh huh. Okay. But there's something I still don't understand."

"Which is?"

"Why do they only show up after we don't need 'em anymore?!"

"Well, that's one way to look at things. But _my_ take on tonight is that all the back-up, all the support I needed... " She paused to place a hand up to his face for the briefest moment. "Was here with me all along." She cleared her throat softly and added in a more business like tone, "Now put your shirt back on and let's go greet our visitors."

Fifteen minutes later the team leader of the Delta Green field unit was staring up at the still unconscious Gideon Whateley and smiling broadly. "Gotcha, you ugly son of a bitch." Major J. R. Legrasse turned to Kim and said, "He's been on our high priority target list for decades now."

"But you didn't know where to find him?" asked Kim.

"We knew. The problem was getting permission from the politicians to move against him. He's had some highly placed protectors over the years, people who are going to have some very embarrassing questions to answer when the contents of this house are revealed."

"Their assistance may not have been entirely voluntary, Major." Kim pointed up at Whateley. "That ring on his right hand has, uh, _had _certain mind control properties."

The team leader pushed her helmet back a little and let out a low whistle. "I don't impress easy, young lady. But I'm admitting to it now. I know Whateley is only a twenty-five percenter, but with the amount of magical weaponry at his disposal here, and a Type VI demon horde for back up... Well, what you accomplished tonight is something I won't soon forget."

"Like I said, it was a team effort." Kim turned to Ron and beckoned him to her side. Then to his great surprise she put her arm on his shoulder.

_What's that about? We're not playing a married couple now, and while she's a lot better at sharing the glory than she was when we started the world saving game, it's still not something she does very often. _

When he felt her start to lean heavily against him, understanding dawned on him.

_Of course. She's not being Moodulatish here. It's her leg. She's having trouble even standing up now. Oh KP, I've gotta get you out of here before you collapse. _

Kim asked, "So, Major, what exactly is a 'twenty-five percenter' ?"

"Only three of his grandparents were human."

"Hmm... " She inclined her red head upwards to give Whateley a thoughtful look. "That explains a few of this mornings' nasty surprises."

"Yeah," exclaimed Ron. "Like why a house as big as this doesn't have any bathrooms!"

Apparently he spoke a little too loudly because suddenly it seemed everyone in a fifty foot vicinity was staring at him.

There was a pitying look on the Major's face as she said, "You're, uh, welcome to the use of the head in the main chopper, son."

"No, I didn't, I-I don't, I mean I do a little but it's not urgent-"

Kim silenced his stammering with a quick squeeze of his shoulder. "You know, Major. I _would _appreciate a place to clean up a little." She managed to keep her voice level as she added, "Ron, can you bring both backpacks, please."

"Right." Ron slung her pack over one of his shoulders and lifted his own to do the same but its extra weight reminded him of something. The teen walked back to the DG team leader and handed over the book he had found upstairs.

"What the hell is this, the Mexico City phone book?" asked the Major. But as soon she read the books' title, the skepticism left her, replaced with utter amazement. "Sweet Jesus, boy! Do you know what you've got here?" Without waiting for a reply she called out, "Farmer! Eckert! Lai! Over here! The list of unsecured copies of the Necronomicon have just been reduced by one!"

"There's a strange sort of key I stuck inside it that you will want to handle very carefully," said Ron, but he wasn't sure if anyone in the crowd that suddenly formed around the Major heard him.

_Yeah, well, they'll find out soon enough. _

He turned back to Kim and realized she had observed all of his actions. Moving back to her side he said, "Man, you'd think it was the ultimate listing of computer game cheat codes or something."

With a shake of her head and a smile Kim asked, "Do you know what being best friends with you is like? A roller coaster ride. There are highs and lows but it's never boring."

"And there's also the frequent bouts of nausea," he added cheerfully.

"You're the one who gets sick on rides, not me."

"Lucky for you. And ever more lucky that the attraction of your choice almost never has a line to ride it."

"You just make sure I'm the only girl who gets a ticket." As soon as the words were spoken, an alarmed look came over her and she quickly faced away from him. In a muttered voice she said, "Let's go find that 'copter."

Ron sensed that he should give her a little space after that but when her left leg gave out and she almost fell down the stairs, he moved close again. Without saying a word, Ron pulled Kim's arm over his shoulder and locked his own arm around her waist. She stiffened a bit but made no attempt to pull away.

The stairwell and the vestibule were empty but when they exited the Whateley House there were a number of Delta Green soldiers in view. Kim froze in place as several of them looked their way.

"Ron, please," she said in a barely audible tone.

"KP, It's gonna be more embarrassing to fall flat on your face than to get a little help from me." But he followed her wishes and moved about eighteen inches to her left.

It was roughly fifty feet to the largest DG helicopter and they walked it in a slow, deceptively casual manner, with nods to the uniformed men and women they passed. If anyone noticed the limp Kim could not completely hide, they chose not to comment on it.

There was a steep ramp without railings leading up to the interior of the chopper. Kim considered it for several seconds before turning to Ron and raising her shoulders in an apologetic manner.

"Pride before all else, KP. Just crawl up there." He didn't wait for the inevitable glare as he grabbed hold of her waist and half lifted, half dragged her up the ramp.

Inside the cabin they looked to the right, the left, then right again.

"This way, I think," said Kim as she moved gingerly down the aisle between the soldiers' benches.

At the lavatory door, she stopped and turned to him. With an amused expression she said, "Okay, mister 'I do a little but it's not urgent'. I'm going to wait out here while you... "

"No, Kim. I'm good."

"Okay." She hobbled through the doorway and gave him an expectant look as she peeled off her gloves.

"Ah, right." He started to pull the door closed between them but she halted it with her palm.

"First aid kit. My backpack."

After a moments rummaging, he handed it over to her. She set it down on the edge of the sink and started sorting through the medicine containers it held. "Dig out another one of those pastries for yourself," she told him.

"You need those pills a lot more than I do, KP." After she gave him a look of displeasure he added, "But I'll take them!"

There were no paper cups in the lavatory so Kim had to swallow her own allotment of pills with water from the faucet and her cupped hands.

With a mouth full of cheese danish Ron said, "Why don't you sit down? And take that shoe off."

She considered the toilet behind her. "Well, the sitting idea is good. But I was going to wait until you were done eating for the other part."

He shoved in the rest of the danish and used the tip of his own shoe to push down the toilet seat and lid.

She lowered herself to a sitting position and stretched her left leg out as far as the narrow confines of the lavatory would allow. At a slight nod from her, Ron untied the shoe and slowly pulled it off. He was as gentle as he could be but it was still obviously painful.

When Ron had set the shoe over by the sink he asked, "What if it's broken, Kim?"

"Even_ I_ couldn't walk on a broken ankle, Ron. It's just... overworked. And speaking of work, how are you at doing laundry?"

"I manage," he replied. _Ever since I started letting Rufus separate the loads and adjust the controls of the washing machine._

"Good. Because this will go faster with your help."

Kim's idea was for him to fill the sink basin with water and rinse the goblin blood from _his_ shirt first. After the stains were gone and the shirt had been wrung out, he handed it to her and she used her hairdryer grappling gun on it. Even at its lowest setting it took no more than ninety seconds for the device to completely dry the garment.

"Umm, would it be okay if I wore this for a little while?"

"Yeah, sure, KP."

She moved her leg out of the way so he could close the door and then he stared at the doorknob until his peripheral vision told him she had placed her own mission top on the edge of the sink.

As he filled the basin with water again Ron looked at Kim in the mirror over the sink. _I suppose your Dad would prefer to see you in a shirt that reaches down to your hips like mine does on you, but it sure isn't going to get _my_ vote. _

"Put this on one of the door hooks, please."

He took the equipment belt from her and hung it up.

"And this can go by the other shoe."

"Right." Ron looked toward her again to see if she would be handing him anything else and noticed her fingers were now hovering near the fastening of her mission pants. He faced forward but realized she was now visible in the mirror and he forced himself to stare down into the sink.

After he had been working on her shirt for a time Kim asked, "Stains coming out?"

"Yeah."

Several seconds later she added, "But I think the memory of how those stains got on my clothes will take longer to, uh, clear up."

Ron fought the urge to look at her. "KP, don't tear yourself up about this."

"Right." There was another pause before she said, "Ron, umm, I have a question for you."

"Uh huh."

"And I don't want a best friend fudge kind of answer. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Those demon things we fought. Do you think they have... souls?"

"Kim, I really, really want to tell you no. But if you're gonna hold me to an uncharacteristic honesty here, then I will just have to say I don't know. But there are things I'm absolutely certain of, KP."

"Such as?"

"_You _have a soul. And I do. So does Kirk. Y'know, probably."

She let her breath out slowly and gave him a half smile. "Nice reframing, Ron. When we get you to college, maybe you'll major in philosophy."

"Hey, interesting idea. 'Mom, Dad, it's not that I don't _want_ to work for a living. But there's just no jobs out there in my field' ."

"Oh, man. What have I done? The last thing in the world _you_ need is another excuse to be, uh... Well, anyway, are you about done there?"

He gave her mission shirt a final wringing out and exchanged it for her pants.

"There's still stuff in the pockets," said Ron, facing forward again.

"All waterproof," she assured him.

"And some of the blood I see here is yours, isn't it?"

"A little bit."

"So when were you planning on telling me that your leg is still bleeding?"

"Ron, it's a very small amount. Especially considering the kind of workout I've had over the last hour or so. But I agree it's time to change this bandage and I will do that before I get dressed again."

She switched the hairdryer back on, bring the conversation to a temporary halt.

A minute or two later Ron said, "All right, Kim. I think I'm done." He handed her pants back and reached for the door handle.

"Wait." He met her eyes and she continued, "This is a deja-vu moment, huh?"

"Yeah, and it seems like we just went through this."

"Uh huh. So, for like the hundredth time this weekend, I need to, no, I _want_ to say thank you."

"Ditto, KP. Double ditto."

"Your pills kicking in yet?"

"Starting to."

"What hurts the most?"

"Three way tie."

"So head, knee, back?"

"Yeah, but all pretty minor."

"How about you? Starting to feel some relief?"

"Yes." She held a hand out to him and he helped her stand up. Kim looked down at her stockinged feet as she experimentally shifted some of her weight from right leg to left. "Oh, yeah. Getting better."

"But-"

"But I'm not going to push it. Blah, blah, blah. Ready for your shirt back?"

From a distance of perhaps three feet he nodded and waited.

_Now what's going on with Kim? She's just standing there looking amused and nervous at the same time. And why is she starting to breathe so fast? _

Ron suddenly realized that she was waiting for him to leave before removing the shirt. He spun around hastily and made a grab for the door handle, mumbling, "I'm gonna go wait outside here."

He opened the door just wide enough to squeeze through sideways and closed it again behind him.

Ron gave a heavy sigh. _And we have a new winner for the weekend's most embarrassing moment contest. What kind of pervert is she going to think I am?_

The door opened a few inches. "Ron?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, KP?"

"Here's your stuff. Now I'm gonna try to be fast but you know how that goes for me. So don't wander too far but find a comfortable place to sit."

"Okay."

"And keep your knee elevated!" she added just before the door clicked shut.

_She doesn't sound too weirded out. Maybe she's so distracted right now, she didn't even notice. Sure, Ron, that's why she was about to start hyperventilating. _

He pulled on his shirt and gloves and sat down on the nearest bench. _Yes, I'm disobeying orders again because this is actually not a very comfortable place to sit. I suppose that's just as well because otherwise I might fall... _

"Ron?"

His head lifted off his chest with a jerk. "Was that the bell?"

Kim's smiling face came into focus a few feet above him. "We aren't in school, Ron. This isn't even Middleton."

"Oh. Right." He stood up and asked, "Just what time is it now, anyway?"

"Not sure. I never did go back for my watch."

"Okay, KP. Give me a minute in the bathroom and we'll go find it."

Kim was able to maintain a slow, steady pace on the walk back inside the Whateley House. They had just returned to the second floor when a soldier approached them hurriedly.

"Ah, Miss Possible. The Major's been asking for you."

"Dude, we're undercover. Watch the use of her real name."

"It's all right, Ron." She gave the man a reassuring smile. "No harm done but we would prefer that the gentleman over there not learn _too_ much about us. He lives in the town where we've been posing as tourists. Although after tonight it's probably going to be a lot harder to maintain that cover story."

The soldier looked around at Kirk and then back to Kim. "Well, so far all he has shown an interest in is getting a government job. If I hear one more question about dental co-pays... "

"I see the Major," said Kim. "We'll go talk to her." As soon as the two teens were alone again, she gave Ron a speculative look. "So, I'm thinking one of us needs to be designated as the Kirk sitter until GJ shows up."

"Yeah, 'one of us'."

"You seem to get along well with him."

"Not really." _Even a sidekick has to draw the line somewhere. _

"You'd be doing me a huge favor, Ron."

"I'm gonna stick with no, KP."

She tilted her head to one side and for a moment he wondered if her neck was also bothering her. Then her eyes became bigger and her lower lip started to protrude.

He turned his gaze away from her as if she had suddenly transformed into a Medusa but the image of the Puppy Dog Pout was seared into his brain.

"Gahhh! All right! Turn it off!"

"Thanks, Ron," Kim called out over her shoulder as she walked away. _Well, that smile almost makes it worthwhile. Almost. _

"Hey, there, Mr. G. How are you doing?"

"I haven't been attacked in more than thirty minutes and I'm very happy about that," Kirk Gleason remarked emotionlessly.

"Right. Y'know it just occurred to me that you have got to be starving, being locked up all that time."

"Three different soldiers offered me some of their emergency rations if I would leave them alone and that took the edge off."

"Okay, good. Thirsty?"

Kirk considered the canteen the teen held out. "How many feet would _you_ need me to move away?"

"It's not like that, dude. No strings attached here."

Warily the man took the water container and after a moment of hesitation he drank from it for several seconds. When he started to give it back, Ron told him, "Don't rush yourself. Get it back to me later."

After a few more swallows, Kirk nodded appreciatively and said, "Thank you."

"Yeah, any time. So, Kirk, have you lived in Stars Hollow long?"

"All my life."

"And you're sure you don't know an Amy Hall?"

"Yes."

"Maybe you've seen her but didn't know what her name was." Ron described DNAmy in detail but Kirk again denied any knowledge of her.

"Well, in the last couple of weeks have you noticed any unusual or unexplained activity around town?"

"Only the Luke and Lorelai break up."

"No, I'm not asking for gossipy stuff. I'm talking about... Do you mean Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore?"

"Yes."

"Well, that is kind of interesting but what I want to know is... Uh, were they together long?"

"It depends on what you mean by together."

"How's that?"

Kirk said, "Luke and Lorelai have known each other for ten years now but they considered themselves 'just friends' for the first eight."

"Why do you say 'just friends' like that?"

"Because it's the term people in town always used when they talked about them. The true feelings Luke and Lorelai had for each other were always there below the surface."

"And finally they bubbled up?" asked Ron.

"They got engaged to be married last year but something happened recently and the wedding's off. I haven't been able to find out exactly what yet."

"So they're back to 'just friends', I guess."

"No. Avoiding each other completely. Lorelai doesn't come to the diner any more and she used to go as often as I do."

"Ten years of friendship is gone just like that?" Ron looked at Kirk but realized he couldn't provide an answer to the question.

"So what's the story with you and the redhead?" Not getting an immediate response, Kirk added, "You can tell me. I'm very good at keeping information on a need to know basis."

The teen stared at the man for several seconds, them over at Kim again and saw she was looking directly at him. That gave him a start until he realized that even with her exceptional hearing she was too far away to have made out any of their conversation.

"Come on over here, Kirk. Looks like something is going on."

They walked to where Kim was talking to the Major and Ron asked, "Is anything wrong?"

"Not really," said Kim. "Some of the DG soldiers out on the perimeter found a man approaching the house. He seems to be a local but we were wondering if Mr. Gleason might be able to identify him."

On the walk back outside Ron stayed close to Kim while Kirk was asking one of the Delta Green sergeants about retirement eligibility requirements. She was moving a little slower than was normal for her, and he noted that she kept a tight grip on the railing as they descended the stairs, but to a more casual observer there were probably no signs at all now of her injuries.

_But I know different. And even if her physical condition wasn't an issue, it was just a few minutes ago that she came as close as I've ever seen to having a meltdown. _

"Will you stop that!" Kim hissed at him.

"Stop what?" he whispered back, although he was perfectly aware of what was bothering her.

"Constantly watching me out of the corner of your eye, like I'm going to collapse any second now."

"Sorry," he replied in a tone that showed he wasn't. Laying on the sarcasm even thicker he added, "I guess I miss TV more than I thought."

She pointed a finger at him and made a slashing gesture to indicate he was to walk ahead of her.

"Kim, this is just-"

"Go!"

Her tone was harsh but a sudden upturn at the corners of her mouth told him she wasn't as angry as she seemed.

Ron started walking ahead and whenever he turned back to look at her, she would stop and not move again until he faced forward once more.

They rounded the rear corner of the Whateley House and a dozen yards beyond that a pair of soldiers were standing on either side of a man seated on the ground.

"Uh oh," said Ron.

"What's the mat-" Kim stopped abruptly when she saw Luke Danes. She turned to Ron and said in a low, aggrieved voice, "You know, there are supposed to be over nine thousand people in that town. Why do we keep running into the same handful?"

"The question is what do we do about this guy?" The indecision on her face prompted him to ask, "Want me to run back to get our packs? The wig and the beard, I mean."

Her eyes flicked down to his knee momentarily. "I don't think you're up to doing any running right now. And I know I'm not." Surprise must have showed on his face at the admission because her manner became more brusque, the way she sometimes got when embarrassed. Grabbing his sleeve, Kim dragged him forward while muttering, "Let's get this over with."

When the diner owner saw the four of them approaching, he started to stand up. This caused the soldier on his left to bark out an order to stay put and Luke reluctantly complied.

Kim said, "Sergeant, could you and your men give us a little space, please?"

The three soldiers moved back out of earshot although they maintained a visual observation.

Kim leaned down with her hand extended to Luke and pulled him to his feet. As he studied her face and then Ron's she said, "Hello, again, Mr. Danes. I told you we'd be seeing you some time today, but I didn't think it would be this soon or this far from Stars Hollow."

Recognition finally seemed to come to his features but he made no attempt to return her smile. "What the hell is going on here?"

Kim looked briefly at Ron, as if she needed a momentary respite from the anger showing on Luke's face. "What's going on is that you have accidentally stumbled into a Global Justice criminal investigation."

Luke pointed at each of the teens. "You two are actually cops?"

"Sort of," replied Kim, her smile replaced with a look of contrition.

"The donated food must have been good for a few laughs when you got back to the station."

"It wasn't like that at all," protested Ron.

"We were really touched by what you did for us," Kim added.

"Well, you're on your 'honeymoon'," he growled. "It was the least I could do."

"Dude, you're acting like this was all some kind of teenage prank to con you into giving us free food. We were_ not_ trying to play you." Ron considered his words for a moment and added quickly, "And we're not teenagers, either!"

Kim gave him a fast look of displeasure before turning back to Luke. "We are sorry, very sorry, that we mislead you about some things, but when you are on an undercover assignment you have to do that." Her smile came back, although not as brightly as before. "Even with the good guys."

Luke was silent for a long moment and when he spoke again most of the truculence was gone from his voice. Pointing at the house he asked, "Is Whateley in there now?"

Kim nodded.

"And he's under arrest?"

"Yes."

"What's he done?" Luke waved a hand to indicate the soldiers and their helicopters. "I don't think just being an eccentric hermit has brought in this kind of attention."

"I'm not the person who makes decisions about prosecution," said Kim evasively.

Kirk put his hands on Kim and Ron's shoulders. "And the details of this operation are for authorized personnel only."

"Like you, Kirk?" asked Luke skeptically.

"Well... "

"What the hell are you doing out here anyway? God knows why but Lulu has been worried sick about you."

Kirk dropped his hands to his sides again. "I would have called her but the goblins took my cell phone away."

"Did you say 'goblins'?" Without waiting for a response Luke turned to Kim. "Did he just say 'goblins'?"

"That-that's what I thought I heard."

Luke faced toward Ron who said, "Yeah, sorry, I've got a really short attention span."

Luke gave Kirk a thoughtful appraisal before asking the two teens, "Was he sleeping when you found him?"

Ron replied, "Actually he was."

"Now I understand at least part of what's going on here," murmured Luke.

"You mean my night terrors?" asked Kirk. He considered this for several seconds. "Well, if this has all been a dream, that would explain why I haven't had any panic attacks over the last few hours... "

Kim asked, "How did _you_ end up out here, Luke?"

"I had a few hours to kill between sixteen hour work shifts this weekend and I thought, what the hell, I'll go out for a drive on some of the worst maintained roads in the State of Connecticut."

"He was looking for me," translated Kirk.

"That's right, Kirk. I was looking for you. And I found you. I'm not going to say right now whether that is a good thing or a bad thing, but it happened. And as it turned out, this night has been an educational experience for me. There were times in the past when I wondered what it would be like to stumble through a pitch black forest and suddenly have people jump out at me. Not just anybody, mind you, but guys wearing military uniforms I don't recognize, carrying weapons I don't recognize. I'm not sure why I didn't recognize those weapons because I know a little something about guns. Maybe it's just harder to identify weapons if they're being aimed at your head. There you go, another life lesson. So we have that and we have the new found knowledge that I don't particularly enjoy being told I'm going to have some new holes blown in me if I so much as hiccup."

"Okay, dude, better take a breath now," said Ron. _Man, you could give ranting lessons to my mother._

Luke stared at the teen through narrowed eyes, then turned to Kim. "Am I allowed to go now?"

"Of course. Our sincerest apologies for the misunderstandings tonight."

"I'm regretting this before I even ask it, but can Kirk come with me?"

"Yes, you're certainly not prisoners. Umm, but before you go, and I know I'm really pushing things here, can I ask you two questions?"

Luke stood up very straight and eyed her with his head tilted back. "Go on."

"First, have you ever heard of a woman named Amy Hall?"

"No."

"Hmm. Second, is it still okay if Ron and I come back to the diner again this weekend?"

Luke scratched his bristly chin before answering softly that it was. He gave the two friends a slight nod and started to walk away. "Come on, Kirk. I'll give you a ride back to where I found your mother's car."

"So Luke, can I put you down as a reference on my application for Global Justice?"

"Yes you can, Kirk. As long as you promise to move away when they hire you."

"Actually, I hadn't considered the possibility of relocation. And I'm starting to have second thoughts about the working conditions, too. I mean if they make you go out on dangerous missions on your honeymoon, what would a regular work day be like?"

"Uh, yeah. Let's go break the news to Lulu, Kirk."

After the two men disappeared into a stand of trees, Kim said, "There's a little bit of Steve Barkin in that man."

"Kirk?"

"No! I mean Luke." Her eyes took on a mischievous glint. "Actually Kirk reminds me of someone else at my school."

"Right," said Ron taking his place next to her as they started back to the Whateley House.

"Yeah, I'm thinking there's probably a family connection here. I'll ask Wade to research it when he gets back."

"Uh huh. This person who's just like Kirk, have you known him long?"

Kim blew air through her lips. "It seems like forever."

"Oh, so he's kind of aggravating?"

"More often than not, yeah."

"Then why hang out with him at all?"

"I ask myself that very question like ten times a day."

"What answer do you come up with?"

"I don't. That's why I have to keep asking it over and over."

"And this person you know has absolutely no redeeming qualities?"

"Well, that's not fair. There actually is one thing in his favor."

"Okay."

"He has an awesome best friend."

When Ron didn't respond, Kim stopped walking and gave him a searching look. "You all right?"

He halted too, smiled and nodded. "I just have nothing to add to your last comment."

It seemed to Ron that she was disappointed that he wasn't going to play the teasing game with her this time. But being Kim, she chose to act otherwise.

"All right then. Good thinking. 'Cause this is not the time to give me any lip... Ronald." She brought her thumb and forefinger up close to his mouth and made pincer movements. "I've used these already this weekend and can do it again if necessary."

Kim seemed to sway slightly as she stood there studying his features._ I have got to get you back to the Inn, KP. While you still have the energy to move at all. _

"No lip, no way," he assured her.

"Wise move, Stoppable. I'm tired, and dirty, and a little bit - a tiny bit - sore. So if there's any more trash talk about Smarty-Mart or marshmallows on hot dogs, I just might have to kick your-"

Kim noticed he was looking past her and turned to see the Delta Green team leader walking toward them. Instantly the playfulness left her and she was all business again. "Major, were you able to get though to Global Justice?"

"Their choppers should be here within a few minutes."

"That's good news. Umm, Major, Ron and I are very grateful for your help this morning."

"You two didn't need any help from us. Except maybe some mops for the demon clean up."

Kim gave her the slightest of smiles. "Maybe, but you didn't know that when you diverted here from your own mission. Is that going to have to be postponed?"

"If the transfer goes smoothly we should still be okay."

"Transfer?"

"Transferring Whateley into whatever sort of holding cell GJ will be arriving with."

A cloud seemed to come over Kim's features. "Will, uh, will your unit be able to stick around for that?"

"Yes."

"Glad to hear it. He may only be a 'twenty-five percenter' but he's... uh... well, I'm glad, that's all."

Wanting to distract Kim from what seemed to be some troubling memories of her fight with Whateley, Ron said, "So Major, what exactly is your mission tonight?"

The woman glanced around their surroundings before stating, "We're headed for an island off the coast of Maine."

"Maine, cool. Give my regards to the señoritas."

Kim said, "Yes, well, anyway, at least Connecticut wasn't too much of a diversion for you. Can you give us any more details about your assignment?"

"That depends. What's your security clearance level?"

"Three."

"Damnation. The _head_ of Delta Green is only a Four."

"I agree it's a bit excessive but see, last year, through a strange set of circumstances, we happened to save the head of the NSA from kidnappers two weeks in a row. I suppose they thought the clearance level was a good way to show their appreciation."

"And cash is just so impersonal," added Ron.

"Well, that's decided it for me," announced the Major. "I am a firm believer in interagency cooperation - that's why I'm here now for Christ's sake - and I don't want to ruffle anybody's feathers. But it's obvious you don't have an exclusive relationship with Global Justice."

"That's true," said Kim with just a hint of wariness in her voice. Ron noticed her left knee was slightly bent and that heel was not in contact with the ground.

_She's back to trying to keeping her weight off of her left leg. Covertly. _

"Listen, I respect GJ," said the Major. "Really I do. It takes a brave and dedicated person to accept the lethal force restrictions the UN imposes on that organization's staff. But I think they are out of their league with somebody like Whateley.

"What I'm going to propose then, is splitting up my unit so that there's a good sized contingent of DG personnel here to back up the Global Justice team."

"Won't that leave you short handed for your own assignment?" asked Kim.

"It will. That's why I'm going to request that you come along with us, Miss Possible. And you too, Mr... ah... You, too, young man."

After an awkward silence Kim said, "That's a very flattering request, Major." She turned to Ron but quickly looked away from the disapproving look he was giving her. "What-what exactly is the objective in Maine?"

"We have solid intel about a colony of Deep Ones starting up there."

"I see," Kim replied but Ron would have bet every Fearless Ferret DVD he owned that she had no more idea of what that meant than he did.

Another long moment passed without speech and the Major said, "I know I'm springing this on you at the last minute and if there is some sort of scheduling conflict here... "

"Actually, ma'am, the thing is-"

"Can you give us just one minute here, please?" requested Kim, cutting off Ron with a covert pinch of his nearest arm. She led him several feet away and positioned the two of them so neither was facing toward the Major.

"Kim, you can't even be considering the idea-"

"Ron, Ron, will you just give me a chance to say a couple of things here." She took a deep breath and a rueful smile came to her face. "I totally agree with you that the timing of this invitation is not great. We've had one of the roughest nights of our careers and should be on our way back to the Inn right now for about twelve hours of sleep. That's still coming, Ron. Just not as soon as we would like."

"Get a rain check, KP. Tell her you'll go to Maine another day."

"They don't need us later. They're asking for now."

"You've already done more than your share tonight. Let 'em find somebody else."

"We don't turn down requests for help, Ron. Not ever."

"There's a first for everything, Kim."

"No, not always."

"Kim, even _you_ have your limits. It's time, long past time, for you to be off duty."

"Hmm. What was I saying before about a deja-vu moment?"

"But there's a big difference between now and back at the Inn a couple of hours ago."

"Which is?"

"There's nothing you could say or do that will make me change my mind about this. We're sitting this one out."

"Ron, think. We'll have the whole ride out to Maine to rest. All that time off my feet and my leg will be almost as good as new."

"Sorry, not buying it."

"Then we've got a New England Standoff here."

"I guess we do. So, who tells the Major we're not going, me or you?"

Her eyes flicked over to the team leader who was engaged in conversation with a few of her subordinates, then returned to his. In a low, solemn voice she said, "Ron, you're my best friend. You get to... care about me. You even get to tell me when you think I'm wrong about something. But that's as far as it goes. You don't have veto power over my decisions. Not now, not ever."

The sudden pounding of his heart made Ron's voice a little ragged but there was no hesitation to his words. "Wrong, KP. I've always had the ability to shut down your mission work. Right from the start. But this is the first time in all these years that I ever felt like I might have to use it."

"Just what exactly is it you're saying here, Ron?"

"That you are not going to put yourself into any more dangerous situations tonight."

"Or else what?" she demanded. In the harsh glare provided by the floodlights of the DG helicopters, he could recognize the signs of a rising fury on her features.

Ron pulled the cell phone out of his pocket, pressed the keypad eleven times, and held it up so she could read the display. He didn't know what number she expected to see there but apparently it wasn't the one for her own house back in Middleton.

If it weren't for the dizzy nausea that had come to him from the moment he had made up his mind to do this, the look of total surprise that appeared on Kim's face might almost have been comical. The color drained from her cheeks, her eyes got big, and her mouth formed a near perfect 'O'.

She staggered back a step or two, then her eyes narrowed and she found her voice again. "You actually call that number, Ron, and we're... I swear I'd... That would change things between us forever!"

"You think I don't know that already?"

"Then why, Ron? Why would you do this to me?"

The quaver in her words seemed to push his stomach up further into his throat. In a scarcely audible tone, he said, "I'm not doing it to you, Kim. I'm doing it _for_ you."

She had no immediate reply to that and seconds later the throbbing rumble of multiple helicopter motors caused them to turn away from each other.

He watched Kim walk stiffly over to the DG field commander and they had a brief conversation. When the Major's face assumed a crestfallen expression, Ron knew Kim had given in to him.

_Congratulations, Stoppable. You are now a successful blackmailer. Yeah, and by the way, the friendship that you always considered the most important thing in your life, that's gone forever._

* * *

(More author notes:

If anyone got the reference to Farmer, Eckert, and Lai, I'd love to hear from you. Actually, whether you did or not, feel free to write me. Just because I haven't made a point of asking for feedback before, doesn't mean I don't like hearing from readers. Good comments or bad, send them in.

Delta Green is the invention of Adam Scott Glancy, Dennis Detwiller, and John Tynes. It was designed to combat supernatural menaces like those that appear in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft. FYI, the surname Legrasse, the Necronomicon, and the Deep Ones all come from Lovecraft's work.

Kirk Gleason and Luke Danes appear in the Gilmore girls television program which was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark Schooley and Bob McCorkle.

All of the above characters and concepts are used here without the permission of the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	11. Dissonance

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**11. Dissonance**

Sunday Morning:

_What did I just do here? _Ron Stoppable asked himself yet again. _I mean out of all the things I thought might someday bust up my friendship with Kim Possible - a boyfriend, the Food Chain, or these days just being a little too obvious about admiring her face and figure - I never, ever would have guessed it'd be me threatening to rat her out to her parents if she didn't back off from a dangerous mission. _

_How is she ever, ever going to forgive me for this? _

At first Ron tried to keep Kim in his line of sight, if not his close proximity, but she was quickly surrounded by a group of Delta Green and Global Justice personnel who all seemed to need her attention at the same time.

_Can't any of you people do your jobs without her? Don't you know what she's gone through this weekend?_

But Ron had no intention of making a scene. He'd done enough damage to her reputation for one night.

He moved unnoticed through the press of uniformed men and women and back to the second floor of the Whateley House. After a few minutes wandering amid the stolen artifacts, Ron found Kim's wristwatch. For some inexplicable reason it was stuck to the floor by the adhesive goop Wade had invented, and he had to tear it free from the band to lift it up. At least the crystal was intact and the watch itself appeared to be still functioning. Hard to be certain about that though, since it was currently set for stopwatch mode and he had no idea how to return it to regular time display.

Ron pocketed the watch and his eyes moved back to Gideon Whateley, still bound securely to a stone pillar. With a start the teen realized Whateley was conscious now and staring directly at him. Ron forced himself to meet that fierce gaze but gloating was out of the question with his heavy, sour stomach.

"There you are, Mr. Stoppable. We meet at last."

The teen tore his attention from Whateley and turned to a young woman in a GJ uniform. There was something familiar about her pretty face and wavy chestnut hair but his sluggish brain wasn't providing him with a name.

"It's Melissa. Melissa Harvey. We've talked like ten times on the phone or by video link."

"Right. Melissa. Hey."

She put a hand up to his face. "How about that, you're not just an image on a computer screen. But where's the beard, guy? We worked long and hard on that disguise."

"Yeah, this was supposed to just be a scouting trip but things... didn't exactly go the way I expected tonight."

She moved closer to him and said in a softer tone, "I'm not going to complain about the change in plans. I get to meet you in the flesh, and here I am out in the field. Just between you and me, I don't get out of headquarters all that often."

"So GJ is still shorthanded?"

"Very. The assault the Director led yesterday uncovered a whole new level of WEE operations. No telling when the follow up raids will be over."

"Good thing DG was there for the assist," said Ron.

"I suppose. But if Global Justice were at full strength right now, I seriously doubt that we'd be working with them in _any_ capacity."

"Why?"

"Well, for starters, there's the whole shoot first and make up the answers later philosophy they operate by. Of course, maybe trigger happy is the only way to go when you've got casualty rates like they do." Agent Harvey glanced over her shoulder and saw a combined group of DG and GJ agents were moving several pieces of electronic equipment over toward Whateley. She put a hand on his arm and said, "Hey, guy. I'd better go start earning my pay here."

"Okay, Mel."

As she walked away from him, he heard her mutter, "Why did I think he'd be taller?"

Ron looked up at Whateley again but now the man's attention was focused elsewhere. The teen followed his line of sight and realized Whateley's angry glare was directed towards Kim. She might have been unaware of that, however, because she in turn was staring at Ron. Their eyes met from a distance of perhaps twenty feet, close enough for him to clearly read the displeasure, contempt rather, on her face at that moment. He started to make a gesture to indicate that he would wait for her outside, but she turned away from him too quickly to see it.

_You can really feel the love in this room tonight. _

Somehow Ron managed to find his way back through the forest to the GJ loaner car. He placed her backpack on the hood before the driver's side of the windshield and then seated himself on the ground about ten feet away.

Without a watch of his own, the only way he would have of learning the current time would be to look at the cell phone in his pocket and the thought of touching that device, more specifically of seeing Kim's home phone number in the display window, caused a new round of stomach roiling. So he occupied himself by mentally cataloging all the times he had previously embarrassed her in front of their peers, teachers, or assorted law enforcement personnel. It made for a distressingly long list, but he couldn't think of any prior humiliations that matched his actions tonight.

The first inkling Ron had of Kim's return was when a set of keys dropped on the ground a few feet away from him. He looked up and saw she was standing by the car with her face averted.

_All right, apparently I'm supposed to drive. Sure beats walking back to Stars Hollow, which I thought was about an even money possibility given our current... disagreement. _

Ron pressed the key chain button that unlocked the car doors and Kim got into the back. He placed their packs on the front passenger floorboard and moved behind the wheel. When he started the vehicle, the dashboard clock indicated it was 3:19 AM.

On the trip out to the Whateley House they had relied on the car's GPS equipment to guide them, but Ron hadn't paid much attention to how Kim had programmed in their destination. He took the navigation control module out of its dashboard cradle and studied it carefully. Despite its compact size, there were a bewildering number of buttons and toggles to contend with. At the best of times it would have been a challenge to him, but now, when he was sure he could feel Kim's eyes boring holes into the back of his head, he was completely unable to apply the concentration necessary to solve its mysteries.

_Okay then, do I ask for her help or just try to- _

One of Kim's arms shot forward and grabbed the device out of his hands. It disappeared from his view for perhaps ten seconds before she reached up and dropped it on the front seat next to him.

"Thank you," murmured Ron but Kim may not have heard him because he spoke at the same time as the vehicle's on board computer.

"Turn to the left," Ron was instructed. And for the next fifty three minutes the electronic voice was the only sound heard within the car.

There was one open space left in the parking lot of the Dragonfly Inn when they arrived. After Ron had pulled into it and shut off the motor, he retrieved the box holding the black wig from Kim's backpack. Without turning around, he reached behind him and dropped it onto the back seat. Then he pulled his own bag toward him and rummaged through several different compartments until he found his beard and the adhesive used to hold it in place.

He was still working on his disguise when Kim opened her door and stepped out. Almost immediately after that, he heard a faint groaning sound and then nothing. Ron checked the rear view mirror but she wasn't in sight.

_Man, she's walking a lot faster than I thought she could under the circumstances. _

He turned around and scanned the parking lot but still couldn't see her.

_Come on now. I know anything is possible for a Possible but it's been like five seconds and the front door to the Inn has to be a hundred yards away or more. Even at her peak she couldn't..._

"KP?

"Kim?"

He hastily patted the last part of the beard in place and got out of the car. Even while standing up, there was no sign of her. He closed his door and started to close the one she had exited from, but there was an obstacle in the way. Without thinking he pushed harder and suddenly Kim sprawled onto the pavement, falling onto her back and lying there motionlessly.

"KP!" He knelt beside her and raised her head up close to his face. "Kim! What is it? Talk to me!"

Her body began to quiver and he thought she was about to cry. Her eyes opened and met his. He expected tears to start spilling down her cheeks, but instead Kim began to laugh. It was soft, almost silent, and the pained look did not completely leave her face, but she was undeniably laughing.

He resisted the urge to pull his hands away and let her head drop back to the pavement. "Oh yeah, Kim, this is all just so funny." His queasy stomach and various bodily injuries were all forgotten now, replaced by a growing anger. "Are you gonna share the joke with me anytime soon?"

Her laughter turned into coughing and she raised an arm up to cover her mouth. In a gasping voice she asked, "Don't you think it's funny that you just banged the car door against my head?"

"No!"

"After the way I treated you back at the Whateley House, you must have gotten some kind of pleasure out of doing that."

"Cut it out, Kim." Ron put his arm behind her shoulders and raised her to a sitting position. "Can you stand up?"

"I just tried that, and ended up down here."

"Where's your other shoe?"

"Still in the car. I took it off on the ride back here and then it hurt too much to put on again. So I step out of the car, start to put my weight on my left foot, and flop down like a rag doll. I was pulling myself up by the car door when you decided to try to knock some sense into me."

"So resting in the car didn't help your leg after all."

"No, it's worse than ever."

"Huh."

Suddenly stone-faced, she said, "Yeah, I don't need that translated. If I, we, had gone off with Delta Green, it... would not have been good."

"Neither one of us knows for sure how that would have played out."

"Then let's just talk about something more certain. I was so... vicious to you back there. I put you into an impossible position." She paused to give him a searching look. "And you're not even denying it."

There was a catch in his voice as he said, "For a while there I really believed the friendship was... was... I can't even say it."

"Uh, if you remember, back at the Whateley House, I couldn't actually say it aloud either."

"So what's it mean, KP?"

"That the team isn't gonna bust up any time soon, Stoppable. Live with it."

"I will if you will. Now, let's get you back on your feet. Foot. Good foot only."

He reached down, took both of her hands in his, and pulled her gently to an upright position. Standing on one leg caused her to be a bit unsteady and he placed his ungloved hands on the narrowest part of her waist to keep her from swaying.

There was barely a foot between their faces now and she pitched her voice to a breathy whisper. "You're so warm."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It feels good. I mean after laying down on cold cement, why wouldn't it?"

"Right. Do, umm, do you want me to check the trunk for a blanket?"

"Good thinking. Just prop me against the car first."

Ron let out a low whistle as he surveyed the contents of the car's trunk. "There's quite an arsenal back here. I haven't seen this much firepower since the last time I was in Barkin's rec room."

"Don't touch any of that stuff!" snapped Kim. More calmly she added, "I really want to get up to the room, so let's not linger out here, okay?"

_Translation: Ron Stoppable with a gun scares me more than a hundred goblins. _Aloud he asked, "What about medical supplies?"

"We're good for now."

Ron closed the trunk and draped a blanket of some silvery metallic fabric around her.

"Thanks. You didn't happen to notice a cane, crutch, or wheelchair in there, did you?"

"You don't need any of those things, KP. I'm going to carry you."

"Ron, it's got to be a hundred yards or more to the front door of the Inn. I know I'm bony but-"

"Right, Kim. That must be why you get on all those magazine covers. Because you're _so_ unattractive."

"I... The... The point is you cannot carry me all that way. Not in your current condition. Now, what we are going to have to do is... "

The sentence trailed away as they noticed a light blue sedan suddenly pull into the parking lot.

"Get back behind the car!" they told each other in unison.

Despite the sudden fear that got his heart thumping, he managed to give Kim a smile. "Hope we live long enough to drink all the sodas we've been earning out here."

"You picked the wrong best friend if a long life was your priority," she replied bitterly.

Before he could answer, the vehicle had pulled up beside them. The passenger side window rolled down and they saw Lorelai Gilmore was the driver.

The two friends let out long sighs of relief as the woman said, "Please tell me that you two are just figments of my sleep deprived imagination and the real Kim and Ron are up in their room right now dog-earring pages of the Kama Sutra they got as a wedding gift."

"It's us, all right," replied Kim. "We've had kind of an eventful night."

Lorelai eyed each of the teens in turn and stepped out of her car. As she walked around the vehicle, Ron made a rapid adjustment to the fit of Kim's black wig, **t**hen he pointed at his false beard with a questioning look and was assured it was properly positioned.

"What's happened?" asked Lorelai, placing her hands on Kim's shoulders.

Seeing his best friend silenced by a sudden inability to formulate a lie, Ron spoke for her. "We were out on a nature hike and Kim took a bad fall. She's twisted her ankle and is kinda banged up."

"Ron's been carrying me or supporting me for hours now but he's not one hundred percent either."

The woman put the back of her hand to Kim's face as if to check for a fever. "Do you want me to call for an ambulance?"

Kim shook her head. "Things aren't anywhere near that bad."

"Stars Hollow doesn't have a doctor but there's a twenty-four hour urgent care clinic in Litchfield**.** I could drive you there."

"Lorelai, we really appreciate the offer but I think we'll be okay after we get some sleep." Kim gave an embarrassed smile. "The problem is getting to our room."

"Having trouble walking?" After the teen nodded, the Inn Owner turned to Ron. "Why didn't you just drop her off in front of the door?"

"I-I... Aw, man! I guess my brain is working about as good as Kim's leg."

Lorelai opened the passenger side door and helped Kim take a seat while Ron got in the back.

As they were driven up to the entrance of the Inn, he said, "We're really glad for the help here, Lorelai. But do you always work such long hours?"

"Our regular night manager is off on a family leave and someone needed to be here to meet the replacement chef."

"Fun." Kim's voice took on a tentative quality as she added, "Let's hope Sookie comes home soon."

Ron said, "Yeah, sure, but if the replacement cook doesn't show or doesn't work out-"

"Oh my god, I'm going to see about having your room lock from the outside! It's not your worry, Ron. Just concentrate on taking care of your wife."

The car came to a stop literally inches from the front porch steps of the Dragonfly. Ron got out and opened Kim's door. Lorelai was there a moment later and together they got her to a one-legged standing position. Ignoring Kim's feeble protests they each took an arm and half led, half carried her through the front door, the lobby, and up the stairs.

On the second floor, Lorelai leaned her against Ron for a moment and used a passkey to open the door to Room 4. After Kim had been lowered into the nearest chair, Lorelai said in a low tone appropriate for the predawn hour, "We're still about a half an hour away from any Kitchen staff clocking in, but I could probably heat up soup or bring you some kind of dessert... "

Kim looked at Ron who said, "We're good."

"What about something to help you both sleep tonight? This isn't the Hotel California, but I think I can hook you up." Kim gave her an uncomprehending look so Lorelai continued, "I'll put on something tie-dyed, we'll have the Velvet Underground playing in the background... "

"She's talking about drugs, KP, some kinda pain medication."

"Ah. Right. No, Lorelai, that's covered, too. But thanks."

"Okay then. I'm going to get to work. Ron, I'll leave her in your hands, but have pity on the poor girl and don't make that come true in a literal sense."

Ron closed and locked the door after she left, kicked his shoes over to the farthest corner, and dropped into the other chair. He looked over at Kim and returned her rather anemic smile. Half a minute passed in silence before Kim asked, "Do you remember the money I was going to spend to take you out to Bueno Nacho?"

"Sure."

"I'll give you double if you take care of my before bed obligations."

"Such as?"

"Wash my face, brush my teeth, and, well, there's one other semi-urgent necessity but we'd have to switch bodies again."

"Wow," said Ron dispassionately. "Another taboo shattered this weekend. And that one goes back a lot more than twenty-two days."

"Twenty-three."

"Twenty-three days. Yeah, and the don't discuss it rule wasn't unspoken that time around. I believe severe bodily injuries were promised in the event of me ever spilling the secret that we once had our brains swapped out."

"Cut me some slack, Ron. I was an uptight freshman."

"Sophomore," he corrected.

"But the 'uptight' part stands?"

"Back then? Oh, yeah."

"And now?"

"Not so much. Keep up the self improvement and I might even move you out of the high maintenance category."

The black wig struck him squarely in the face and dropped into his lap but he barely blinked. "Watch it, Kimberly. The bathroom's not so close if you have to crawl."

"Well, if you're going to make me crawl, then I'm coming over there by you and demonstrate the quick way to take that beard off."

"There's something that hasn't changed in thirteen years. You still get very aggressive when you're over tired."

"Take that back or I'll punch your lights out," she muttered. Kim used her palms to rub her eyes for a long moment before looking his way again. "Tell me it's really over for a while, Ron. Nobody is going to call, the Kimmunicator won't chime, no knocking on the door."

"None of those things is going to happen, KP. You're off the clock."

"I want to believe that but it's just not sinking in for me."

"Go to sleep for ten or twelve hours and it'll seem more believable."

"Okay. Umm, Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm thinking you should get the bed to yourself tonight."

"That's just crazy, Kim. With all of your injuries? No way am I letting that happen!"

"Ron, keep your voice down. It's not even five yet. Now I'm not being a martyr here. I just don't want to risk getting blood on the sheets. You know, from my leg."

"Then why aren't you worried about the chair you're sitting in?"

"Because this blanket will... will protect it. Oh, yeah. Right. Well, I suppose I won't have to sleep in the bathtub tonight after all."

"Okay, so are you ready for in there?" he asked, jabbing his thumb toward the bathroom.

"No. Yes. Are you sure I can't talk you into earning the money I offered?"

Ron got to his feet with a stifled groan. "I would if I could, kid."

"Did you actually just call me 'kid'?"

"I think I did." He grinned. "Guess I'm thinking ahead a couple months to my next birthday."

"Eighteen is the big one," said Kim, unwrapping herself from the blanket and putting her hands in his so he could help her out of the chair. She put her arm around his shoulders and he gripped her tightly about the waist.

"Very big," agreed Ron as they started moving toward the bathroom. "Do you know how each year for those thirty-seven days that I'm older than you I kind of give you a hard time?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, this time will be like all those other years combined and a lot worse."

"How very Zorpoxy of you."

"I just hope our friendship can survive that barrier."

"What 'barrier' are you talking about?"

"When I'm an adult and you're still a juvenile. We'll have nothing in common anymore. I'll come home from a hard day at the office wanting to talk about overseas tax shelters and the latest Oprah's Choice book and you'll be all like, 'But Uncle Ronnie, I have to get a Middleton Barbie play set or I'll just die!' "

Without turning from the survey of her hair in the bathroom mirror, Kim said, "I never played with a Barbie doll in my life."

"Then it's a good thing you've got so much childhood still to go. There's time to-"

"Wait a minute. Didn't we find some Barbies when we cleaned up _your _room?"

"Those were collector items. For investment purposes only."

"Okay. Makes sense. Or it would if you hadn't taken them out of the boxes."

"KP, it's so clear that you're tired and your brain just isn't working at its usual efficiency. So let's save this conversation for another day, shall we?"

After a penetrating appraisal of several seconds Kim said, "Okay... Uncle Ronnie. Can you bring all the bags in here, please?"

After he had placed them on the counter top, she thanked him and asked that he fill the tub up half way.

"Kim, I don't think a bath is a good idea right now."

"It's not for me, Ron. However much I might need it at the moment, I couldn't... I'm just not up to it."

He lifted an arm and gave himself an experimental sniff.

"And it's not for you either!" Although she was the one who had raised her voice, Kim shushed him and continued more softly, "I want to soak our mission outfits overnight."

He nodded his understanding. "Got it."

She handed him a small plastic bottle of laundry detergent. "Two squirts of this after the water is high enough."

When the soaking mixture was ready Ron said, "I'm gonna leave you to it now. If you're sure you'll be okay... "

"Of course." But when he was almost out of the room she added, "Close the door, Ron. Don't lock it."

Time seemed to slow to an aggravating crawl after that. Kim was moving as quietly as she could so as to not disturb anyone in an adjoining room, and he couldn't call out to her for the same reason. This meant that for most of the time the door separated them, he had no idea how she was doing.

For some reason the same nasty mental image kept playing in his imagination. Kim slipping while doing a one-legged hop from place to place and banging her forehead against the edge of the counter. She slumps unconscious to the floor while her blood spills out in a relentless torrent.

He seated himself on the carpet about three feet from the bathroom and was staring at the gap between the bottom of the door and the ceramic floor tiles, half expecting, half dreading the appearance of the first crimson drops, when she emerged.

"Oh. Well, hello down there." Kim was in her pajamas now, with her arms crossed in front of her. Usually that pose signified displeasure, but now she was smiling.

"Hey! You said you weren't going to take a shower but you smell very soapy." He got shushed once more and she moved her head in a jerking motion that directed him to stand up.

When they were eye to eye again Kim said, "I didn't shower. I just ran a washcloth over... a few places. And since you are basically clueless when it comes to girls, I feel obligated to pass on a piece of advice. They, we, really don't appreciate being interrogated about hygiene."

"Right. Got it. The, uh, bed's all ready."

Kim glanced over and saw he had pulled back the covers and spread out the car blanket shiny side down.

"So it is." Her eyes moved back to his and there was something different there now which might have been trepidation but he wasn't sure.

_Is she getting weirded out about the sleeping arrangements? I mean she initiated things on Friday but that seems like a million years ago. Plenty of time since then to think about the ramifications of our actually sharing a bed. Nothing happened then, nothing's going to happen now, but still, if anybody else in the world ever found out about this, that would not be good for Kim. _

"Ron!"

"Huh?"

"I said, is it okay if I get this side of the bed tonight? You know, to be closer to the bathroom."

"S-sure, KP. Whatever you need."

"Thanks. I have another request, too."

"Uh huh.

"It's a little more unconventional."

"Yeah?"

Her cheeks became slightly pinker as she said, "I want to borrow a shirt again."

"A-are you going out?"

"No."

He didn't understand but her obvious embarrassment prompted him to comply and not drag things out more than he already had. Ron stepped away for a moment, then returned holding out the four shirts he had packed for the mission.

"Umm. I'll take the pinstripe."

"It's dirty."

"Then it's a good match for me," Kim told him. "Put the rest back neatly, please."

Since her arms remained crossed, he draped the dress shirt he had worn on Friday over her shoulder before walking back to the bathroom.

"Looks better on you than it ever did on me," Ron told her when the repacking had been completed.

"Don't be so sure about that," said Kim, rolling up the second sleeve. "I think one day soon I'm going to take a look in your closet and see what other wardrobe surprises you've got stashed away in there."

"Oh boy."

She held her arms out. "Even?"

"Good enough."

She looked him in the eye again and he saw that whatever was bothering her before was gone now. "So, you going to make me bunny hop over there?"

Without any warning he scooped her up in his arms, carried her over to the bed, and set her down gently.

"And I thought you slept through Gone With The Wind," she murmured.

Ron straightened up. "Let's see, a four hour movie without a single car chase; yeah, why wouldn't it hold my interest?"

"Beats me. So, have you reached fed up yet or would you be willing to do me one more favor?"

"What do you need?"

"You to wait on me hand and foot for the rest of the weekend."

"I'd be scared if it was anybody but you saying that, KP."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I'm going to work a lot harder keeping you in this bed than any activity you might come up with for me to do."

She blinked up at him a few times, then said, "Okay, could you fill a plastic bag with ice and bring it to me?"

It took several minutes for him to find a suitable bag and retrieve ice from the machine at the end of the second floor corridor.

"Both locks?" she asked him when he returned to their room.

"Both locks set," he assured her.

Ron got a towel from the bathroom and wiped off the plastic bag before carefully placing it on her swollen left ankle. "How's that feel?"

"Like most things that are good for you; sucky. But I'll survive. Now go on, get yourself ready for bed."

He half expected her to be asleep when he returned from the bathroom, but her eyes met his as soon as he stepped through the door.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself," she replied in the same low tones.

"I'm thinking with you on that side of the bed, we'll leave the light off in the bathroom tonight."

"Wrong. Set it up the same way you did last time."

He flipped the bathroom light back on and moved the door until it was open about three inches.

Stepping back to the side of the bed he whispered, "Kim, I'll say it one last time. I am totally okay with sleeping in the chairs or the floor or whatever arrangement gives you the best chance for a restful night."

Her response was to raise one hand, snap her fingers, and point to the unoccupied side of the bed.

Ron pulled back the covers and laid down. "Ohhh mannnnnnn... This feels good."

"I would even go so far as to say blissful."

"Yeah, except even from over here I can feel the cold from the ice pack."

"Sorry, I'll move a little farther away."

"That's not what I'm saying, KP. I just... I know it's going to make it harder for you to get to sleep tonight and that's the last thing you need right now."

"I can tough it out for a while longer. And I'm not ready to go to sleep this very second. Are-are you?"

"No." He shifted onto his right side so he could look directly at her. "Anything on your mind?"

"You."

"Ah... okay."

"As you are well aware, Bonnie doesn't think that much of you."

"Uhh, not exactly newsworthy info, Kim."

"And as your best friend I defend you from her insults."

"Again something I already knew."

"But there's one label she's stuck on you over the years that I've had a harder time protesting. At least in my own mind."

"Lazy?"

"No. But you got the first letter right."

"So we're gonna play Twenty Questions now?"

"No, it's just not a very nice word." She took a deep breath. "She sometimes calls you my... lapdog."

After a delay of several seconds he said, "I guess I've heard worse. And not just from Bonnie." He hesitated again before adding, "So that was a tough one for you to deny, huh?"

"I... My point was... "

He moved onto his back and stared up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head.

"Ron... "

"KP, you feel what you feel. No apologies necessary."

"Yeah, but let me say... "

She broke off when he turned away from her and tugged the covers up to his neck. "Just let it go, Kim. It's nothing."

The covers were yanked back forcefully enough to make the bed rock. "Excuse me," she said in a firm, quiet voice. "But you can't tell me what I have to say is nothing until you actually hear it." Then her hand was on his face, gently but insistently rolling him over so that they were facing each other again, except now they were only inches apart.

"Now that's better," she whispered. He expected her to take her hand away, but instead it moved to the back of his neck.

"I'm not going to let you go until I say my piece. Got it?"

He nodded his head and her hand shifted a few inches so that a fingertip could run lightly along the outer edge of his left ear. As she kneaded the flesh of his earlobe, she added, "You're going to listen to what I have to say. Right?"

"Right," he agreed in a barely audible voice.

Her hand moved again and two of her fingers pressed softly against his lips for a moment. "No interruptions, either."

"Okay," he mumbled around the fingers on his mouth.

Her thumb ran over his chin and the room was so quiet a faint rasping noise was audible.

"You need to shave again. You're turning into a he-man before my eyes."

Ron decided that was too ridiculous to respond to and said nothing.

With her fingers on his cheek, Kim asked, "And why are you always so warm to the touch?"

_Because I'm near you, _he thought. "Maybe all the Diablo hot sauce I've had over the years."

"I suppose. And speaking of your disturbing eating habits..." She brought her nose up close to his mouth. "Why don't you have onion breath?"

"I just brushed my teeth."

"I know but even before that, there was no oniony smell." She gave his nose a gentle squeeze. "Hey, maybe that's what Mystical Monkey Power does!"

"Uh, Kim, I guess you didn't realize it was the MMP that let me beat Whateley's mind control ring."

"Ah, well, now that you explain things, that does make sense... "

"Sure, how else could I do something you couldn't."

"Right. I was wondering about that earlier but then things just got so crazy... "

"Yes, I find using my magical abilities very handy when I'm cooking, playing video games, or, of course, entering a talent show."

"It's amazing that you have that kind of power. But Ron, isn't it sort of cheatish to use it just to win a contest?"

He barely had a chance to bury his face in his pillow before he started to laugh.

Kim's fingers fluttered through his hair very gently. "I... What's so fun-" Her hand froze in place and in a toneless voice she said, "Hey." Then she repeated the word more passionately and added, "You played me! You lousy-"

Her hands grabbed the top of his pajamas and began to shake him forcefully. "You are so going to regret that, Stoppable. I'm gonna-"

She broke off suddenly as his collar started to rip on one side. "Ooh, Ron, I'm sorry. No, wait, I am totally unsorry. That's the least of your worries because when I'm done with you... "

Kim pulled the collar off the rest of the way and did the same to his front pocket. She was about to pull on one of his sleeves when he reached up and gripped each of her wrists.

"Geez, what website do I go to when it's Kim Possible who's attacking me?"

When Ron pushed her away, he must have applied more strength than he intended because she fell onto her back. Without conscious thought, he moved over so that his legs were on either side of her hips. Still holding her arms tightly in his hands he panted, "Now I know why you wanted to wear my shirt. So I wouldn't retaliate."

"And what if I wasn't? What would you do then?"

He considered her expression. She was breathing as fast as he was and it seemed there was a series of emotions reflected in her features. Amusement was there, and playfulness. Perhaps confidence as well. Certainly there was none of the nervousness she had displayed at other times during the weekend when he had, always unintentionally, threatened to cross the barrier between best friends and... something more.

"Well?" she demanded. "What are you going to do... lapdog?"

_Don't stop and think,_ he told himself. _Don't analyze. Don't start counting all the reasons why this is a huge mistake. For once in your life take a chance. Grab out for something you want. _

The voice in his head was loud and insistent but could not completely shut out another series of thoughts.

_She is mentally and physically exhausted right now, and that's all piled on top of the emotional damage done to her by the Moodulator. Don't take advantage of any girl, let alone your best friend, when her judgement is impaired like this. _

_Yeah, but Kim's not 'any girl'. Far from it. Speaking her mind has never been a problem for her, at least not with me, and even if it was, bad leg or not, if I was really out of line here, I'd be splattered against the farthest wall right now. _

Remembering her injuries prompted him to shift his lower legs over several inches, and this caused him to set a bare foot down on top of the plastic bag holding the ice cubes. He hadn't put all of his weight on it but it was still enough to cause the seal to open part way and extremely cold water to leak onto the blanket.

"Aw, man. That is not good." He let go of her wrists and started to climb off the bed.

"Where are you going? What hap-Ahhh! Ron! What did you do?"

"Just a little accident," he told her. "I'll clean it up."

Kim's eyes moved from her dripping foot and back to his face. Her expression was carefully neutral until he plucked the plastic bag from the tangle of sheets and blankets at the foot of the bed.

With a heavy sigh, she sank back limply onto her pillow and said, "Oh, Ron. For a minute there I thought that you had... Well, you know."

"Ever since we came back here, it just gets better and better," he grumbled.

Ron brought a towel from the bathroom, dried her foot, and blotted up the spilled water. Then he straightened out the bed covers and pulled them up to her waist.

Kim gave him a smile and shook her head. "The roller coaster ride continues."

"I guess."

"And you don't have any more pajamas with you, I suppose."

"No."

"Great. I get to admire my... handiwork for two more nights."

Ron looked down at the dangling threads that showed where a pocket had been recently and said, "Y'know, it's not that cold tonight. When you're not getting drenched with ice water, I mean. I think I could get by with a t-shirt."

"Thank you."

Ron took the scraps of cloth from the bed and walked into the bathroom where his overnight bag was lying on the counter. He threw the three separate pieces of his pajama top into the trash and put on his Middleton High P. E. Shirt.

Stepping back into the main room he held the bag of ice up for her consideration. She grimaced and pushed back the covers so she could look at her ankles.

"Yeah, no need to point out the bad one, KP," Ron said from the edge of the bed.

"You should see all the scrapes and bruises that I'm adorned with right now." She gave him a quick sideways glance. "Well, you'll probably want to just take my word about that."

"Kim, I say be done with the ice pack. There's only so much misery anybody should have to put up with in one night."

"Good thinking, young man."

"So how about some socks?"

"I can't, Ron. Not on the left foot anyway."

"My socks."

"Oh, bigfoot socks. That would be great. Thanks."

After she had put on the thickest pair of socks he had, Ron climbed back into bed and pulled the covers up waist high just as she had done.

"Ron, I'm still a little too wound up to go to sleep just yet. But you do _not_ have to sit up with me."

"I'm good. And I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

_What were you about to ask me or say to me last evening right before we set off for the Whateley House? _"Ah... "

"That's not a question," she pointed out.

"I was just wondering... What... Did you really think I had an _accident_ accident a few minutes ago?" _Talk about pathetic cowardice! _

She wrinkled her nose. "Well, maybe, just for a second. But hey, it's already been established that my brain is not working too well right now. That's why you could punk me so easily a little while ago. And speaking of that, what's the real story with Mystic Monkey Power? Do you have it or not?"

"I have it. There have been a few times in my life when it kicked in and I could do amazing things, almost worthy of a Kim Possible." She rewarded him with a warm smile. "But I can't call it up at will and I can't control what it does when it turns on." He shrugged. "It's like the thought of getting a second royalty check from Bueno Nacho, a tantalizing maybe."

"Then I was so right when I called you 'potential boy' a while back. But you know, even when the power's off, you are still a pretty handy guy to have around. You've showed that this weekend over and over again."

"Thanks, Kim."

"And you know what else you proved last night?"

"Uh uh."

"That you are not a lapdog. For anybody."

She must have sensed him stiffen a little at the repeat of the word because she slid closer to him and put an arm around his shoulders. "You have been putting yourself in dangerous situations on my behalf for years now. But I think what happened this morning was the bravest thing you've ever done.

"You stood up to me, Ron. You knew it would have been very wrong for me to go off with Delta Green, even when I didn't, and you made me back down."

"I didn't feel all that brave at the time, KP. Seemed like I was on the Last Train to Barfsville."

"Doesn't matter what you felt. Just what you _did_."

"I'm betting you have never been so mad at me in your life as you were when I threatened to call your house."

"M-maybe. But anger toward you was quickly replaced by anger with myself for putting you in a situation like that.

"I know I can be very... imperious with you and Wade at times, which is wrong on so many different levels. And anyway it's just plain stupid to tick off people who you need to stay alive."

She put a hand up to her forehead. "It is so, so embarrassing to remember this, but there were a few times when I browbeat and bullied Wade into doing things he knew were wrong. You were in Japan one of the times but please don't ask for the details, it's just too humiliating to share.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that everybody, even me, can benefit from a few checks and balances. Okay?"

"Okay. So once every thirteen years I get to tell you no about something?"

She returned his smile. "That's right, 'once'. So use it wisely."

A comfortable silence fell over the room. She kept her arm around him and he tilted his head until it rested against hers. With his eyes focused downward and to the right he could see the rise and fall of her chest. Somehow it was comforting that their breathing had become synchronized.

He felt her body jerk and he knew she had fallen asleep for a moment.

"Ready?" she asked in a thick voice.

"Oh yeah."

Kim pulled her arm away and reached up for the light switch on the headboard. When the room was dark, they laid their pillows flat and pulled up the covers.

Perhaps ten seconds passed without any sound or movement.

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Gonna have another 'accident' tonight?"

"No!"

"Okay, just checking." She snuggled up next to him and placed her head against his back where her regular breaths quickly lulled him into unconsciousness.

* * *

(More author notes:

Lorelai Gilmore is the invention of Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

They are used here without permission from the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	12. Waking Up

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**12. Waking Up**

Sunday Afternoon:

"Kim.

"Kim.

"Kim, come on.

"It's been going off for like ten minutes now."

As if the annoyingly persistent voice wasn't bad enough, someone began to nudge her.

"KP.

"We really should answer that."

"Ron?" _Was that croaky voice really mine? _"You get it. Please and thank you."

"I would if I could, Kim."

"Why can't you?"

"Ah, you kinda got me in a death grip here."

Kim Possible's eyes snapped open. There was light in the room now but all she could see was featureless gray. She tilted her head back and the ceiling of their room at the Dragonfly Inn came into view.

_Okay, so I know where I am. But where's Ron and what's he mean about a 'death grip'? _

Her head fell back onto her pillow and the grayness returned to her field of vision.

_What is that? And why does Pandaroo feel bigger? And warmer?_

_Alive?_

Realization came to her suddenly. She quickly pulled her arms back from around his midsection and moved herself over to the center of the bed.

There was an audible groan as Ron Stoppable got to his feet, but when he turned toward her there was a smile on his face. The Kimmunicator chirped yet again.

"I can get that. Now."

She considered the wrinkled state of his gray t-shirt and the blond hair which seemed even more unruly than usual. "No, I'll do the talking. But could I have my hair brush first, please?"

He returned with her entire overnight bag. She pulled out the brush and gave her hair a half dozen strokes. "Okay?"

"Okay," he replied. "For somebody who's been awake about ninety seconds."

Kim threw the brush back in the bag and grabbed a scrunchie. When her hair had been gathered into a tight ponytail she looked at him again.

"Better," he said and handed over the Kimmunicator.

Her finger hovered near the accept button. "Be great if it was Wade."

"Not likely. It's gonna be GJ."

_I wonder if he's hoping for it to be that Agent Harvey._

Kim activated the video link and then nearly dropped the Kimmunicator in surprise.

"M-Mom? What is it?"

Dr. Possible closed her eyes and put her hand up to the lower part of her face for a moment, as if needing to compose herself before speaking.

"Is something wrong there?" the teen persisted.

"There's nothing wrong _here_," snapped her mother. "But I wasn't so sure about the two of you."

"Did-did you hear something about us?"

"No, Kimberly Anne, we did not."

Kim's eyes flicked over to Ron seated on the foot of the bed. They both knew the full name usage was not a good sign.

"Your father and I haven't heard a single word from you or about you in the... " There was a pause for her to consult an off screen clock. "The more than forty-eight hours since you left Middleton."

"I'm sorry. It's been a pretty hectic weekend so far."

"Right. I saw Monique at the library yesterday."

"Well, there was a bit of a lull the first part of Saturday. But after that, whoosh."

_Even to me that sounds lame. _

"What's wrong with your cell phone?"

"It, uh, it died."

"And why didn't you think it was important to tell us that Wade wasn't working with you on this mission? Or Rufus either?"

_Okay, she is seriously tweaked. And obviously it didn't help that Ron's family and Wade's family both knew more of the details of this mission than she and Dad. Better tread carefully here, Kimberly Anne._

"Mom, I apologize for not doing a better job of filling you in on the particulars of this weekend. It was very irresponsible of me-"

"Ah, yeah, excuse me for a minute here, Mrs. Dr. P," said Ron as he moved over to stand next to Kim. "But you should know that I'm the one who did most of the planing for the mission. A lot of it was sprung on Kim at the last minute."

"And your _plan _required her to avoid all contact with home?"

"Well, not exactly but it really has been pretty busy out here for-"

"You two just woke up, didn't you?"

"Uh, I guess it wasn't that long ago," he mumbled.

"I want to talk to Kim in private, Ron. Can you excuse us, please?"

"Well, uh... Right. Going."

He started for the door to the hallway but Kim stopped him with a sudden clearing of her throat. When he turned to look at her, she touched her chin to remind him that he wasn't wearing his pretend beard. Ron pointed to the bathroom and she nodded.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Dr. Possible said, "I didn't _want_ to call you, Kimberly. I had visions of your phone ringing at a bad time and giving away your position to people who... "

_Want to kill me? _"Mom, no worries there. It goes on mute before every mission. SOP." _Or at least it does when my brain is working properly. _

"I still wouldn't have called if-"

"If I had been mature enough, considerate enough, to check in with you first."

"Well put. And I'll thank you not to interrupt me again."

"Sorry."

"I wouldn't even have attempted to contact you directly if the people at Global Justice would have just told me that you two were okay."

"Well, why didn't they? I'd say nobody else has more of a right to know."

"A 'right'? Maybe. But apparently not the proper security clearance. No one would say where you were, what you were doing, or even if you were... "

_Yeah, no need to say that one out loud._ "How-how did you finally convince them?"

"By demanding to be put through to the Director."

_Oh, terrific. Fan-tastic. By this time tomorrow it'll probably be common knowledge all over GJ. Agents will be placing bets on whether I got grounded or just a good spanking. And I thought I'd been to Humiliation Nation before. No, not even close. _

_Wallow in self pity all you want, Kim. But this is entirely your own doing._

"Mom, I am so, so sorry to have put you and Dad through all this. I swear to you, it will never, ever happen again."

Her mother didn't respond immediately and this only increased Kim's anxiety. _If she makes me come home now, before this mission is completed, then Drakken's long delayed wish will come true and I will die of embarrassment. _

Finally, unable to withstand the unyielding scrutiny of those piercing blue eyes for another second, the teen asked, "So, Mom, what are you thinking?"

"I don't recognize the shirt you're wearing," was the cold reply. "Have you been shopping?"

"Oh, no. No time for shopping on this mission. Too busy. It's borrowed."

"From who?"

"Ron."

"Why do you lower your voice when you say that? Doesn't he know it's his shirt?"

"He knows, Mom. It's just for sleeping in. I didn't pack the right pajamas for the trip." _Ahhh! Why did I say that?_

"Where are you, exactly?"

"Connecticut."

"That much I knew from before."

"Right. We're at the Dragonfly Inn and the city, well, town, is Stars Hollow. I don't have the phone number or zip code here in front of me but-"

"What room are you in?"

"Four. Ask for me as Kim Pendarvis or Kim Weasley. Either one should work."

" 'Weasley?' "

Despite the tension she felt, Kim managed a bit of a smile. "Yeah. That was Ron's idea."

"And what room is _he_ in?"

_That smile didn't last long. _"Also Room Four."

Dr. Possible raised her eyes toward the ceiling for a moment and took a deep breath. "I am liking this situation less and less with every second."

Kim looked over at the bathroom, then picked up the Kimmunicator and shifted her position until she was facing in the opposite direction. In a lowered voice she said, "We're posing as a married couple, Mom. Separate rooms would look a little strange."

Seeing her mother had no immediate response to that, Kim decided to do some questioning of her own. "I'm trying to understand your point of view here. I totally get your concern about Wade and Rufus not working with us on this mission. And my failure to check in with you for the two full days I've been out here so far was inexcusable.

"But I'm thinking there's something else going on here that's also bothering you. And the only thing that I can come up with is the Moodulator."

After a pause, Dr. Possible said, "You haven't been the same since that night."

"Maybe that's because other people won't let me forget it ever happened."

The older woman narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I can see how all that concern and sympathy would be very aggravating."

"Sorry for my rude response. That was uncalled for."

Her mother nodded her acceptance of the apology. "It does bother me that this kind of extended undercover assignment has come up before you've really had a chance to deal with what that machine did to you."

The teen almost snapped out, "It's Ron that I'm out here with," but somehow that phrase had lost a great deal of its disarming power in the last few weeks. Instead she asked, "So now you think that I'm not worthy of your trust anymore?"

"Kim, it's not a question of trust. You are the most trustworthy and responsible daughter any parent could ever hope for. That's why your father and I have given you so much freedom, to a degree that most other adults think is insane. But not even the most conscientious person can overcome mind control technology."

"The Moodulator wasn't a mind control device, Mom. Believe me, I have first hand knowledge of what _that_ is like. More than once, actually."

"Then what exactly _did _it do to you?"

"Well, it uh... " Kim looked over her shoulder at the bathroom door and could hear the sound of water filling the tub, but she still lowered her voice even more. "There's some debate about that."

"An internal debate?"

Kim could only meet the woman's questioning gaze for a few seconds before shrugging and turning away. _Please just let it go, Mother. Please!_

After an excruciating silence Anne Possible said, "Kim, I accept, I have to accept, that you don't want to tell me what's on your mind right now. But I think it would do you good to get another person's take on what it all means. To make sure you're seeing things clearly. Have you talked to Monique about it?"

"Not really."

"There needs to be some kind of resolution here, Kim. You've been doing an uncharacteristic amount of brooding in the last few weeks. And I know you haven't been sleeping well either."

The teen forced herself to smile. "But I'm making up for it now!" Seeing that concern had not left the woman's face, Kim added, "Mom, don't get the wrong idea about what's going on with me out here. Yes, there are a couple of unanswered questions bouncing around in my head right now. But mission-wise, and friendship-wise, things are cool. Ron's stepping up like never before, and, umm, well, even though we're down by two, the team is still doing some amazing work out here." She paused to smooth down her hair in a theatrical manner. "I'd spill a few of the details but you just don't have the right security clearance level."

Dr. Possible smiled, albeit ruefully, for the first time in the conversation. "I suppose I'd better let you go now. But I need one last thing from you for my own peace of mind."

"Sure, Mom."

"Remember how I said you need to resolve your... situation as soon as you could?"

"Yes."

"Now's not the time."

"It isn't? This weekend seems like a perfect opportunity to get things out in the open."

"It isn't, Kim. This is the worst possible moment and I need your promise that you won't talk to Ron about... that subject until after this mission is over. How far after is up to you, of course."

"Mom, this has been dragging out for weeks-"

"Kim, you are just going to have to trust me on this. Please give me your promise."

There was another pause and another glance toward the bathroom, then Kim looked directly at her mother and said, "I promise."

"Thank you. Now I'm going to go tell your father that I've spoken to you before he makes _another_ call to Washington."

"And tell him how very sorry I am about not checking in sooner."

"Right. See you tomorrow, Kimmie. Love you."

"Love you, too, Mom," said the teen just before the video link ended.

_Okay, I'm almost eighteen years old. Why did it feel so good when she finally, _finally _called me 'Kimmie'? _

She kept the electronic device in her lap for perhaps fifteen more seconds, thinking whatever GJ agent had put her mother through might come on with an update but the 'KP' screen saver remained in place.

"Oh, well. We'll call them in a few."

She tossed the Kimmunicator onto the bed and looked back at the bathroom. The sound of water running was gone but a softer gurgling noise was now audible.

"Ron?

"Ron!"

She was about to toss her hairbrush at the door when it opened and he poked his head out.

"Come on back. Lecture's over."

Ron dried his hands with a towel as he returned to the side of the bed.

"What have you been doing?" she asked. _And why are you suddenly not making eye contact with me?_

"Laundry," he mumbled. "The stuff you put in to soak overnight."

"Right. Our mission clothes. And... And... " _And just about every undergarment I packed for the trip. _"Eww. Ron, I'm sorry. I-I was sure that I'd be up before you today and could take of it then."

"Well, you still can. Because once I realized what it was, I dropped it."

_And you mean that literally, I'll bet. _Aloud she said, "I wouldn't have done that at all if I wasn't going through my clean stuff so quickly on this mission."

_New topic, Kim. It won't get any less embarrassing for either of us by dwelling on it. _"So, anyway, Mom was pretty hot there for awhile but I think it's okay now."

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down. "How-how long should I stay away?"

"Stay away from what?"

"Your house. Your parents."

"Why would you do that?"

"To give them time to get over being mad at me."

Kim sighed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Ron, if jumping to the wrong conclusion was a professional sporting event, you'd be athlete of the year. The century."

"KP, it's my fault you got in trouble. I set up this mission and I should have made sure your parents got progress reports just like Wade does."

She shook her head slowly from side to side. "I never knew Wade did that. And I'm not gonna blame you for not knowing it either. Besides, there's more going on here than just missing some check ins."

"Yeah? Like what?"

She held his gaze for several seconds before answering. "She's wondering if the Moodulator is still effecting me."

"Hmm. Maybe me and her can start a club."

"Y'know, Ron. I haven't had a total lock on the, uh, OOC behavior this weekend. You've had a few uncharacteristic moments, too."

He took a deep breath as if he was about to make a fervent denial but all that came out was a soft, "I know." He held up a hand with the forefinger aimed at the ceiling. "And I think I've finally figured out what's going on here."

"Really. Well, let's, uh... "

_Oh, man. What's he going to say? Will this lead into the topic you just promised Mom you would avoid at all costs?_

"So you have an explanation, huh? Interesting."

"Yeah, it goes back to our infamous brain swap."

_Hmm. Ordinarily a topic I'm not too comfortable with but under the circumstances, it's actually a welcome diversion. _"Okay, so share already."

"What if having our minds temporarily relocated created a permanent psychic link between us?"

"That would explain my long standing interest in Zombie Mayday," joked a relieved Kim.

"Mayhem," he corrected automatically. "And I'm not claiming that we are identical. Just that maybe there is a wireless connection between us and the Moodulator effect can cross over after awhile."

"Ron, I don't know... "

"Well, there's _some_ kinda link between us, KP. Has to be. How else do you explain us sometimes having the exact same dreams?"

"I can't. Just like all of my Mom's lab tests couldn't." She tapped a finger against her chin a few times. "This is reminding me of a kind of a theory of my own. But it's really not something I ever thought I'd share with you. Or anybody else."

"Go on, Kim. Whatever it is, I won't laugh."

"Yeah, I don't think that's very likely here." She paused for a deep breath. "I always believed that if one of us... died, the other would know it right away, no matter how far away from each other we were when it happened."

"That's a cheery thought," he said, eventually. "But what about my idea? Think I'm on to something?"

"I don't know if it would get the Wade seal of approval, but it sorta makes sense to me."

His eyes opened wide in surprise, then he grinned broadly. "I've got some other theories to tell you about, too."

"Faked moon landings?"

"Hollow Earth."

"I'll put that on my ASAP list." She smiled back at him for a long moment, then asked quietly, "How do you feel, Ron?"

"Good."

"I'm glad to hear that. But I want a little more detail right now."

"All right. My back is fine. My knee was a little stiff when I first got up but it's okay now. And I got a bit of a headache, but that might be more from not eating in awhile than from getting conked yesterday."

"Check to see if there's any of Luke's stuff left."

"I'll split it with you."

"You can have it all," she replied. "In just another minute, okay? I'd like to take another look at your head."

Ron knelt down beside her and faced toward the wall. As her fingers gently moved over his scalp she asked, "Any bad dreams last night?"

"No dreams at all, good or bad. How 'bout you?"

"No. And frankly, I was more than half expecting to have a few."

"Yeah. So what was worse, KP, Whateley or the goblins?"

"Whateley," was the instant reply. _Because you weren't with me._

It almost seemed that he could read her thoughts because he turned back toward her and there was a look of intense sorrow on his face.

"I never should have gone off... "

"Forget it, Ron. Forget him. Forget that house. The only thing to remember about last night was that you were there for me, with me, at the times when it mattered most."

"Okay, Kim," he said in a resigned voice. "So, anyway, I want to know what kind of shape you're in this morning. I see the bruises on your wrists are almost gone."

"Yeah, you're right."

"But what about your leg?"

Kim pulled back the covers and saw there was no blood stain on the upper left leg of her pajamas.

"So far, so good."

Somehow she had lost the sock on her right foot during the night. Pulling off the left sock, she placed her ankles together and compared them.

"Umm, they're not symmerical, spherical-"

"Symmetrical," she supplied. "Yes, there is still a bit of swelling but this is a huge improvement over last night."

"I guess."

"I _know_." She pivoted herself in place and slowly lowered her feet to the floor. When they were flat on the carpet she said, "It's all right. No real pain."

She held a hand out to him and was gently raised to a standing position. "This is good. Better than I expected."

Ron was waved back several feet while Kim took a cautious step forward. "Okay, okay." She took two more steps. "Yep. This is too not bad at all."

After half a dozen steps she gave him a big smile. "Just between you and me, Ron, sometimes I even amaze myself."

He moved in front of her. "Sure, Kim, sure. We already know you're better than everyone else at everything you do, including heal. But let's not push it too hard, too fast. Get back in bed."

"Umm, excuse me. I've been asleep for more than eleven hours. I've got business in there."

Ron grudgingly stepped aside so she could walk into the bathroom.

"Here, take your stuff." She handed over his carry-on bag and mission backpack, then started looking through her own bags for what remained of the food that Luke had given them. "Three rolls, two danish, and a croissant. That will have to hold you until we get our breakfast, uh, dinner. Whatever we're gonna call our next meal."

"Any requests?"

"That's your call." She glanced at her left wrist but of course her watch wasn't there. "Probably should just make it something quick. Considering."

"One second, KP."

He stepped away for a moment and returned with her watch in the palm of his hand. "Sorry I couldn't save the band."

"That's easily replaced. But when did you have the time to... ? Oh, right." _When I was being a nasty witch, change one letter, to you. _"Thanks, Ron."

"Sure, Kim. And remember there's still more than twenty-four hours before we have to head home. Plenty of time to find DNAmy."

"You're glossing over the fact that with forty-eight hours already on the job, we still have no idea if she's within a thousand miles of us."

"Ahhh... " Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I never got around to telling you what I found on the ground floor of that house last night. Besides Kirk, I mean."

She shook her head.

"Not magical artifacts or museum displays. It was full up with scientific equipment. I couldn't tell you what any of it is called, or what it does, but I'm sure I've seen stuff just like it in other DNAmy lairs."

"Huh. Not definitive proof of Amy's presence here in Connecticut but encouraging all the same."

"Oh, yeah."

"Okay. So, were you going to wear _this_ shirt today?" asked Kim. "I was planning on ironing it before I gave it back to you."

"You'll need it again tonight, won't you?"

"Right. I suppose I will. Bedtime isn't even that far off. By the clock."

_But our sleep patterns are messed up now. The Inn will be all dark and quiet and we'll be laying next to each other, not the least bit tired... _

"Okay, well, all right," she said quickly. "Plenty of work to be done before that point."

"Definitely. So I'll see you back here in a few."

He retreated through the door and she closed it with a smile and a nod. But when she turned to look at herself in the mirror, all she saw was was anxiety and confusion.

_Amy's whereabouts aren't the only mystery to be solved in the next twenty-four hours. _

* * *

"Come on, Kim! Your food is getting cold."

The bathroom door opened and she saw he was bearded again with his hair gelled back from his forehead.

"Okay, Ron. You can put away the battering ram."

"Go sit down," he said in a displeased tone.

The upholstered chairs had been turned to face toward the small table, which now held a pair of ornate metal trays.

"Which one's for me?" asked Kim.

"Closer chair."

"Ah. Of course." She seated herself and lifted off the cover. "Wow. Looks great and smells even better. But I don't recognize all of the ingredients... " _Actually I have no idea what any of this stuff is._

"Tangerine Beef."

"Weird... but intriguing. What'd you get?"

He pulled back the lid on his tray. "Cheesy Stuffed Lobster."

"Okay, now that's just... just.. Can I have a taste?"

* * *

Kim finished rinsing her toothbrush and tapped it against the edge of the left-hand sink. She started to place it back in the plastic container she had brought with her before deciding to hang it in the holder on the wall. Turning to her right she asked Ron, "You done?" Noting the spatters of toothpaste foam on the mirror in front of him, she added, "Done making a mess?"

He brought his arm up with the intention of using the sleeve of his sweater as a cleaning cloth.

"Ah-ah-ah." Kim handed him a towel and he gave her his toothbrush. She placed it in the rack next to hers, then found herself staring at the two brushes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know. It's like there's a memory here that doesn't quite want to pop out."

She saw a look of concern on his face and smiled. "It's nothing. So come on. We've got a call to make."

Kim started for one of the chairs but he clamped his hands down on her shoulders and half turned her until she was headed for the bed.

With a sigh of resignation she sat down and leaned back against the mound of pillows he had piled in front of the headboard. Only when she had stretched her legs out onto the bedspread did he hand her the Global Justice cell phone.

Putting aside the knowledge that whoever was currently on duty at GJ would have heard by now of her mother's checking up on her, Kim pressed down twice on the call button.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Possible."

"And the same to you, Agent Tagore. But it's just Kim, remember?"

"All right. And I'm Ben. I hope you and Mr. Stoppable are suffering no ill effects from your adventures last night."

"We're both doing fine, thank you. Ron is here with me now so I'm going to put you on speaker mode, if that's okay."

"Certainly."

"Still hear me?" Kim asked after pressing a series of buttons.

"Just fine." There was the sound of paper shuffling for a moment, then he said, "Let's see. The GJ team cleared the Whateley House at about ten this morning."

"They were there for a while. Any interesting discoveries?"

"Amy Hall was confirmed to have been on site within the last week."

The teens exchanged pleased looks. "Excellent," said Kim. "But how can they be sure?"

"Well, ironically enough, through DNA evidence."

"Right. And any clues to where she might be right now?"

"Not so far. But the electronic equipment recovered at the scene is still being analyzed as we speak."

"Who's at the house now?"

"A detail from the Connecticut State Police. I was told there will be hundreds of man-hours involved in the processing of all the stolen property. It's still in the very early stages of course, but I _can_ tell you that copy of the Necronomicon, by itself, has a recovery reward of-"

"Hold on there, Ben. Just one second, please." She turned to Ron and asked with a smile, "Are you sure you can handle this right now?"

He swallowed noisily and replied, "I can take it if you can."

Kim shrugged. "Okay, Ben. Spill."

"Apparently the book is the prize of their library collection. The Board of Governors for Miskatonic University have authorized a reward of ten thousand dollars for its safe return."

_Whoa. That could just about score me one of everything at Club Banana. Or a decent car to go tooling around town this summer. _

_Hang on, Kim. There are a couple of hitches here. First off, you didn't even find the book, Ron did. The money should go to him, if anybody. _

There was a sudden sour taste in her mouth when she recalled being given a Smarty-Mart gift card after they took down Frugal Lucre and then spending every penny of it on herself.

_It never crossed my mind for one second back then to share it with Ron even though he was there for every part of that mission. _

_But leaving aside for the moment my own failings as a best friend, or as a human being, the real question here would be does the debt I owe Ron make me bend my years long policy of not asking for rewards for our work?_

She turned to him again and saw he was wearing a puzzled expression. "I-I think you've got a say on this too, Ron."

He hesitated for several seconds, his brown eyes fixed on her as he tried to decipher her thoughts. Finally he said, "Yeah, Benny, tell the Board thanks but we don't do rewards. And if they need help with the next campus clean-up, well, just have 'em hit KP's website."

"It might have to wait until Tuesday, but I'll deliver that exact message."

Kim asked, "And there were no problems with the... prisoner's transfer into custody?"

"None."

"Did we hear anything about the outcome of the Delta Green mission?"

"No, ma'am. I could attempt to put through an inter-agency inquiry but, frankly, DG doesn't have a very good track record of responding to those."

"Right. Forget it then. But what about the college student with the broken leg? The one who got hurt at the Whateley House. Do we have any more details on exactly what happened to him?"

"That seems to have dead ended. Apparently he gave a false name for himself when he was admitted to the hospital and walked out before he could be confronted about it."

Kim drummed her fingers silently against her right thigh for a long moment. _This would all be so much easier with Wade on the job. He'd hack into the surveillance system for the hospital and come up with a complete record of everything the boy said. Of course that would probably involve breaking several different laws... _

"Ben, there is an employee at that hospital by the name of Tilly Erlanger. Can you dig up her contact information and send it to the Kimmunicator?"

"Yes. Would you also like the information we have so far on the three people who tried to ambush you last night?"

"All right." _Man, I haven't even given them a thought in hours. Not since the minute we left for Whateley's house. _"Any highlights you should pass along now?"

"We sent a team out to their hotel rooms. They were definitely searching for Amy. Several pictures of her were found among their belongings. They had some of you two, as well."

"Any idea how they could place us in Stars Hollow?"

"Sorry, no." After a pause the GJ Agent added, "The computer equipment we confiscated from them has some rather sophisticated encryption software."

The teens glanced at each other and Kim was certain they were both thinking the same thing. _Wade could probably have sleepwalked his way past whatever cyber-defenses those three had put together._

Ben said, "Just a guess here, but based on what was recovered from their rooms it seems likely they planned to capture you two and then use... persuasion to get you to bring Amy to them."

"What sort of 'persuasion' would that be?"

"Different kinds. Pharmacological. Electrical. Some old school techniques, as well."

"Too bad we went and spoiled the party plans," murmured Kim into the sudden silence. She cleared her throat and asked, "And if they did get their hands on Amy?"

"The woman and at least one of the men have known ties to terrorist organizations."

"The Director called that one right," said Kim, more to herself than the others. In a louder tone she added, "Listen, Ben, we greatly appreciate all the recuperation time GJ gave us at the end of this morning's activities. But I want to make it clear that you and your fellow agents should not hesitate to contact us day or night when new developments and new information come up."

"Even if it isn't clear how exactly the new pieces fit into the puzzle?"

"Yes, definitely."

"Well... I could start right now with one of those pieces. Ahh... after the sun came up at the Whateley House several different persons on site noticed some unusual footprints scattered about."

"Unusual in what way?"

"Non human. Those...demon things you encountered would be a logical explanation but the people on the scene insist their prints are entirely different."

"Is there some sort of analysis software the prints could be run through?"

"That's been done. Attempted at any rate. But they don't match up with any known animal species. Delta Green personnel claimed not to recognize them either."

"Were they trackable?"

"Not through the forest that surrounds the house, no."

"Are there pictures?"

"Yes. I'll forward those to you as well."

"Thank you. So, uh, Ben, are the WEE raids over now?"

"Yes."

"And they're considered a success?"

"Well, just between the three of us, Gemini evaded capture. Again. But there are over one hundred other prisoners from his organization in custody now and every one of the doomsday weapons they were preparing to use was recovered."

"Aren't there enough of those in the world already?"

"Apparently not," Ben told her.

"Any GJ casualties?"

"None of any significance."

"Is the Director back at Headquarters now?"

"Oh, yes. Thankfully."

The sudden fervent tone of his words confused her at first, then recollection struck. "Because when she's away, the Deputy Director gets to run the show."

"Uh, yes, that's true." It was obvious Agent Tagore was putting real effort into not revealing his true feelings toward the DD. He didn't need to. Kim had known for some time now that the man was almost universally hated by the Global Justice rank and file.

" 'Deputy Director,' " repeated Ron. "Is that somebody I've met before?"

"Yeah, three times now." He shrugged so Kim added, "Roderick Spode. He's British. Big guy with the goofy mustache." Seeing that comprehension still had not dawned, she lowered her voice slightly. "You borrowed his cell phone and then dropped it in the toilet."

"Well, that narrows things down _a little_... " He stroked his goatee a few times. "Oh, yeah! Didn't he run a self defense class we went to once? Made the big, big mistake of choosing you as a demonstrator for choke hold escapes."

"That's the guy." _Okay, so I can admit, to myself at least, that I was a bit rougher with Spode than I should have been. But he was riding us, Ron especially, from the minute we showed up at that seminar._ "So, Ben, the Director is good? All okay?"

"I saw her about an hour ago. Safe and sound, and, as always, thoroughly impressed with your work."

"Ahhhh... right." Kim looked questioningly at Ron but he shrugged. "I guess that's it for now, Agent Tagore. Call us when new information comes in."

After she hung up, Kim started to rise from the bed but Ron's hand grabbed the hood of her pullover.

"Hey. Wait."

"What is it?"

"That's my question. What was the deal about the reward?"

"Who-who says there was a deal?"

"KP, it seemed that you were tempted by the money."

"And that's not something I'm allowed to feel?"

"I'm not finding fault, Kim. Just saying it's kinda surprising for you to pay attention to things like that."

"Too normal?"

"Too mercenary."

"I can't win here, can I? Either I'm money-grubbing-greedy or I'm Saint Kimberly who wouldn't dream of touching any filthy currency. No middle ground for me."

"That's for the ordinary people, KP. Not the save-the-world types."

She smoothed the lay of her denim skirt and said quietly, "I know. So, you ready to go?"

His fingers locked onto her hood again. "Hold up."

Kim glanced over her shoulder. "There are like six different kung fu maneuvers to counter what you're doing there."

He let go, patted her back gently, and then pulled the hood up and forward until it reached to her nose.

"Hey!" She pushed the hood back and smoothed down her hair. But the biting comment on her lips died away when she saw the earnest expression on his face.

"Kim, I have to know. Were you really tempted to keep the money?"

There was an intensity in his voice and eyes that startled her. "I-I might have been, for like half a second."

"But you were thinking about it for a lot longer than that."

"Then maybe it was something other than greed going on with me."

"What does that mean?"

She forced herself to keep her gaze meeting his own. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

"I... That just... Okay, Kim. Okay. Y'know, I can be all mysterious and inexplicable, too."

"I'm aware of that."

"Yeah, I-You are?"

"Uh huh. I've proof-read your homework lots of times."

Before he could react to that, Kim pulled up on the collar of his sweater until it covered the lower half of his face and then she slid off the bed and moved quickly for the bathroom.

"Don't run!" he said.

"Yes, Grandpa. Now get your makeup kit and bring it in here, please."

When Ron stepped into the bathroom, Kim had just finished pinning up her hair.

"I guess we're going out."

"You guess right," she assured him. "Now, do you happen to know where the wig is?"

"Not exactly, but I know where we were when you threw it at me."

"I did?"

"Yeah, last night. 'Course you were so out of it, I'm not surprised you don't remember. I'm betting you don't even recall me single-handedly taking out Whateley, or one hundred forty-four goblins - each ten feet tall - and that was all on top of me capturing that squad of gunmen."

"Wow," said Kim, tonelessly. "Sorry I missed all that." She put her fingertips up to her temples. "Wait, it's starting to come back to me now. I'm remembering something. It's you, earlier this morning." She dropped her hands and gave him a big grin. "You had an 'accident.' "

He made a sour face and said, "I'll get the wig."

He returned a moment later and handed her the hairpiece. She looked it over carefully and brushed it with her fingers in a few places.

"It was on the floor, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Not looking so good right now." She tugged back her left sleeve and then made a sound of frustration. "I have got to get a new watch band!"

"We're heading into town, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be surprised if no stores are open when we get there. It's late Sunday afternoon and this is a very small town."

"Well, there are other reasons to go, so it won't be a wasted trip."

"That's true," admitted Kim.

"What's our first stop, anyway?"

"Luke's."

"Y'know, KP, he might still be kinda ticked about the posing we did last night. Maybe that should be the last stop. Or just stay away from the diner completely."

_Yeah, that's you all over, Ron. If it's hard work or it's scary, avoid it. _

_Except... except of course for protecting me from a horde of demons or a thousand other frightening menaces you've confronted over the years on my behalf._

She looked down and saw the wig was still in her left hand. "I know we're already way behind schedule here but I'm going to clean this up a little."

"Let me do it, Kim. Get off your feet for a few minutes longer."

She handed the wig over to him and raised herself up onto the counter top.

_It wasn't even twenty-four hours ago in this bathroom that he was pulling pieces of metal and plastic out of my body. I've seen him go into spazz mode over things as minor as a mosquito bite or a paper cut but last night, when even my parents probably would have freaked a little, he was brave and competent and... and completely heroic._

_Man._

_That's not a word I've applied to Ron Stoppable very often over the last thirteen years. _

_So what's brought on this remarkable transformation in him recently? The approach of his eighteenth birthday? The cumulative experience of years of mission work together? _

_Yeah, Kim, those things might be a factor here but isn't it more likely that you are starting to pay more attention to him and all he has to offer you? Maybe it isn't Ron who's done all the changing, the maturing here... _

"It's still bad, isn't it?"

Sluggishly, the question intruded into her thoughts. Kim looked up at him, noting the concerned expression he wore. "Sorry?"

"I asked about your leg."

"I'm resting it. It's fine."

"Not your ankle. The other place you got hurt."

For a moment she considered playing dumb, pretending she didn't know what he was referring to, just to see how long it would take him to work up the courage to utter the word 'thigh.' But she decided it wasn't exactly best friend behavior to deliberately try to make him uncomfortable. And besides she didn't really want a reoccurrence of the mysterious awkwardness that had struck him at other times this weekend.

"If you mean my... upper leg, it's coming along very well. No bleeding at all last night."

After the wig had been shampooed and dried, he pulled it into place and considered her appearance at length.

_If he frowns at me again like he did yesterday morning..._

"Gonna wear the glasses today?"

"Yes," replied Kim after a moment's deliberation.

"And the nose stud?"

"Yeah."

"Where are they?"

"I could just get them myself."

He put a hand on her shoulder and repeated his question.

She signed dramatically. "The nightstand closest to where you slept last. Inside the pullout drawer. The stud is wrapped up in a tissue."

When he had returned and handed the items to her, Ron said, "So, ah, KP, do you happen to know where my, uh... "

"The wedding ring you left on the bathroom counter last night where it could have gotten knocked down into the drain or stolen? I put it in my backpack."

He smiled. "Where would I be without you, Kim?"

"Camped out at the Lost and Found?"

She took the stud from his palm and raised it to her face.

"Other side."

"I know," she replied, a bit testily. Kim lifted it up again, then dropped her hands to her lap. "You really don't _have_ to watch me do this."

"It's okay. I don't mind. In fact I kinda miss the sight of you with your finger in your-"

She clamped her free hand over his mouth to silence him and said, "Don't even _think_ about completing that sentence, Ron!"

He put a hand on her wrist and gently pushed her arm back. "Doesn't seem to be necessary, does it?"

Her glower lasted for perhaps two seconds before she had to return his knowing smile. "Older men can be so smug and sanctimonious. My mother should have warned me about... "

_Oh yeah. I actually got a maternal advisory just a little while ago. _

"Anyway... " Kim took a breath and went to work on getting the stud in place. Being teased about it had reduced the embarrassment quotient considerably (did he know that in advance?) and since this was the third time this weekend she had put it on, it went quickly.

"Position matches up with the earlier times?" she asked.

"Looks the same," she was assured.

"Okay." Kim pretended she was about to touch his sweater with the finger that had just been inside her nose and he jumped back instinctively. After giving her best friend a _gotcha _look, Kim rinsed her hands in the nearer faucet and dried them with the towel he handed her.

"All right. Glasses on or off?"

"On for a second so I can remember what they cover." Ron considered her face from directly ahead and then each side. "Okay. Take them off now."

"Am I supposed to turn toward the light?"

"Uhh, let me try it without making you stand up. Close your eyes."

She could sense his nearness even before he tilted her chin upwards and to one side. The warmth his body radiated was palpable across the few inches that separated them.

There was the faint clatter of him sorting through his collection of makeup pencils and then something began to stroke the flesh around her right eyebrow.

_It's funny that I never really considered having a serious talk with Ron this weekend about where the two of us might be headed in the post Moodulator era, at least I wasn't going to initiate it, but now that I promised Mom I wouldn't it's becoming more and more tempting of an idea. _

_It sure seems to me that some kind of reappraisal is called for here. After all the things we've said to each other, done for each other this weekend, we couldn't just go back to business as usual on Tuesday morning. Could we? Should we? If only the friendship thing wasn't so incredible on its own..._

He pulled back a little when her eyes opened while he was still barely a foot away. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Well, this is easier when your eyes are closed."

"Right."

_Why not? Figuratively speaking I've been in the dark all weekend. Most of this month, actually. I don't know what Ron's thinking about that future because the available evidence is so contradictory. And I'm no closer to figuring out exactly what the Moodulator did to me than I was three weeks ago. _

_Or am I? I assured my mother that I had not been mind controlled by it, but for the past twenty-three days I've been telling myself and implying to everyone else that it had forced me to do all the kissing and hugging with Ron. So which is it? _

_You're into the fourth week of debating that question, Kim. You've lost dozens, maybe hundreds of hours of sleep trying to decide where those feelings came from. Give it up already. _

_Except I can't. Mom was so right that I need a resolution here. I don't think I'll ever be totally right in the head again until I settle this. Not to tell anybody else what I come up with; this is just for my own piece of mind. _

_I suppose the reason I have so much trouble with this subject is because I realize that there are huge ramifications here. This will effect me, no me and Ron, for, well, for as far into the future as I can see. _

_Scary stuff for sure. But still, when you take away the issues of how the Moodulator works and how long its effects last, there's a much simpler question to answer here. Do I want to be more than just friends with Ron? _

_And what exactly would that mean anyway? It would be pretty hard to spend anymore time together than we already do, unless one of us was to get bunk beds in their room. And I don't think it would be humanly possible for Ron to be any more supportive of me than now. Anyway, most of the people around us see him and me as a dating couple already, so what would really change?_

_Oh, right, the whole physical affection thing. _

_Of course between the Moodulator and our current mission, even that isn't completely unknown territory for us. Which reminds me, before we go to Luke's we should probably make a stop at the gazebo in the town square. We're honeymooners, right? So it's important that we carry on that role in all of our public appearances. We'll show the people of Stars Hollow there's more than one make-out couple around. _

_Ahh, the sacrifices I'm willing to make for my (unpaid) career..._

Her eyes snapped open once more.

"Kim, I need like five more seconds and I'm done."

She closed her eyelids again, although only for a brief moment.

"Come on, KP. You said we had to hurry."

"So finish already."

She continued to stare into his eyes as he worked even though he clearly found that uncomfortable.

_And the question remains, do I want to be more than just friends with this guy? _

_Well, I guess in some tiny buried corner of my subconscious that idea has popped up for like half a second..._

_Sure, Kim, sure. That's why every other thought you've had this weekend has been about getting together with Ron, and I don't mean to do school work. _

_Yeah but like Monique would say, there's hormones at work here. We're teenagers whose parents are thousands of miles away and everyone around us believes we're newlyweds. Put all those factors together and anybody could start to imagine something that really isn't there. _

_Except how does our current sitch explain me losing about fifty IQ points every time a girl pays any attention to Ron? That certainly didn't start this weekend, or even this year. For that matter, why did I cry like a baby when I heard about Madeline and Louise? _

_Because I don't want him to be with any other girls. I want... _

_I want... _

_Oh._

_Oh!_

_OH MY-_

* * *

(More author notes:

Thanks again to CajunBear73, DrBeat, Louis Mielke, keth1, ScareGlow, screaming phoenix, jlgreen, melissaeverlasting, Comet Moon, rebafan4ever, motorized-sasquatch, spectre666, Yankee Bard, daywalkr82, MrDrP, Joe Stoppingham, Pojko, eckles, nutshak, Stubbs101, wopr, RobinofYJ, ShadowBlade989, Mr. Wizard, tom bourassa, David R. Genrich, HecatonchirestLM, The defenastrator, and TymofeY for reviewing.

The Roderick Spode referred to here as working for Global Justice shares the same name as his grandfather, the founder of the fascist Saviors of Britain organization of the 1930s. See P. G. Wodehouse's Code Of The Woosters for more information.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

These characters are used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	13. Out of the Shadows

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**13. Out of the Shadows**

Sunday Evening:

It was as if a door had opened somewhere in the deepest recesses of Kim Possible's mind and she was suddenly flooded by a torrent of memories and emotions. The Valentine's Day party where she had kissed Ron for the first time. The way her call to get his help with her locked braces had backfired because Ron had brought his mother along to deal with the Walter Nelson problem. Those disturbingly vivid dreams about beating Yori to a bloody pulp after first learning of the Asian teen's existence. The electric tingle Kim always, always felt when some evasive maneuver on a mission required, or perhaps justified, her holding hands with Ron. Shooting him a thinly veiled air kiss a few hours after he insisted that _someday _they might start dating. The disastrous "Just humor me" moment at the Prom in their Freshman year of high school. Her glowering at Tara with arms crossed while insisting, "Of course you can go out with Ron. He and I are just friends."

_Yeah, I'd even give up our chance to win this year's Cheerleading Regionals if I could delete those memories permanently instead of just repressing them. But obviously they will only stay buried so long before popping back up again. So maybe it's time to stop denying or minimizing things and start accepting them. Accept that these more than just friendly feelings I have been having toward Ron actually go back a lot farther than the day the Moodulator came into my life. _

_So now I know. This isn't some kind of electronically induced insanity I've been going through this weekend, this month actually. It's more like a kind of low tech craziness. Something that a less emotionally fearful girl would just go ahead and call... love. _

Kim stood up abruptly.

"Hey! I almost poked you in the eye."

She looked down at the makeup pencil she had inadvertently knocked out of Ron's hand, then back at him.

" 'None are so blind as those who will not see.' Do you know who said that?" she asked.

"I'm not the Bartlett Pear guy, KP."

"I think that-What? Never mind. I could ask Rory Gilmore and I bet she'd know but it doesn't matter."

Kim breathed in and out very deeply but kept her gaze fixed on him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, actually there is not." She started to pace but the size of the room made that difficult so she settled for moving a hand up and down her arm in an agitated manner.

"What's with you?"

Kim realized she was fidgeting and thrust her hands into the pockets of her skirt, but then immediately one of her toes started to trace the tile lines on the floor. "Ah, well, for starters I feel like a fifty pound weight has been lifted off of my shoulders."

"Uh huh. And what does that mean, exactly?"

"I was worried about... See, I was creating a problem where one really didn't exist."

"Still not following, Kim. What was the weight that's gone now?"

"I just said, I was building up a concern in my mind and I didn't need to."

"Can you be a little more specific here?"

"Uh, no. But it's not by choice."

"Okay, Kim. You know what? I'm thinking it may be time to buy you a new Club Banana jacket. But this one will have extra long sleeves that fasten in the back."

She moved very close to him and put her hands on each side of his face. "Nope, nope, nope. No more mental health concerns for me or about me this weekend. I know there were a few times in the last forty-eight when it looked like this cookie was crumbling, but that's done now. Finito. Kim Possible is back with all the sanity that you would expect from a seventeen-year-old cheerleader who takes on super-villains as her preferred after school activity."

After several seconds of silence from Ron she shook his head back and forth a little and asked, "Capisce?"

While she waited for a response the same thought kept pounding through her brain.

_Kiss him. _

_Kiss him. _

_Kiss him. _

_Oh, man. Is that voice, that urge, going to be there all the time now? _

A furrow appeared in the middle of his forehead and he gently pulled her hands down but did not let her go.

"Ron, umm, I know I'm doing a lousy job here in the reassurance department. But believe me, it's good. All good. Things are going to be different from this point on. Better."

"But you can't explain why?"

"Sorry, no." She looked down and saw her thumbs were stroking the backs of his hands, as if to ease away his apprehension. Meeting his gaze once more she said, "You're just going to have to trust me on this, Ron. Although after my Delta Green almost disaster last night maybe it's not so easy to put your faith in me again... "

He gave her a crooked grin. "I knew you were just testing me. You weren't really going to leave with them."

"Right. A test. And you saw through my little experiment. Good. I'm giving you a gold star when we get back to Middleton."

"Kim, uh... " The serious look returned to his features as he paused, apparently deciding on his next words. "Don't think even for a second that anything has changed between us."

"It-it hasn't?"

"No. In my book you're still the best there is or ever will be. I'll go anywhere, face anything, if it's with you or... for you."

"Ron, I... " _Oh, Mom, what did you make me do! That promise is killing me._

Kim took her hands out of his and clasped them behind his neck. She placed her forehead against his and whispered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he murmured back.

They stayed in that position for a long moment until Kim found her fingers start to play with the hair on the back of his head.

Pushing herself away by sheer force of will, she said, "Okay, so, how do the eyebrows look?"

"They need a little blotting but otherwise they're good. Very good. Just like... Yes, very good."

"All right then. Let's head out. Because I am so, _so _ready for this mission to be over."

* * *

At Ron's insistence they had driven the Global Justice vehicle to the town square rather than walk there.

"Too bad the door to the diner isn't a little wider, Ron. Then you could drop me off right at the counter."

"Yeah, I wonder if there's a back way in... "

"Hey, wait a minute, over there. An open parking space. Ah, but it's kind of narrow... "

"No worries, KP. It's the Ron Man who's behind the wheel."

"Uh huh. And what was that title Barkin gave you during Driver's Training?"

"I-I don't remember."

"Ron... "

He let air out through his nose. " 'The Auto Destruct Mechanism.' Which was a complete exaggeration. I mean, yes, that first car _was_ totalled. But the other two were back from the repair shop in like a week. Okay, a month tops."

She kept her gaze fixed on him and waited.

"Hmm, you know, Kim. I'm thinking that spot is just too far from the diner. I don't want you walking that kind of distance, so let's see what else we can find."

They ended up parking in front of 'Kim's Antiques' across the square from Luke's.

"Whoa, talk about close mouthed. How long have you been a big business woman, KP?"

"Oh, years now. The bank was always complaining that they just don't have room to store all the money I bring in with my babysitting so I decided to make a few investments."

"How is that going, anyway? It's gotta be like a month or more since I heard you were sitting for somebody."

"I still get calls from my regulars but less often than before because their kids are getting older. The problem I'm really having is in attracting new customers. Warning parents that I might have to back out of a commitment at the last minute if a mission comes up, or if I do take a sitting job that I could be attacked at any moment by one of my many revenge minded enemies aren't the greatest selling points."

Ron shook his head sadly. "There's only one thing Barkin and I could ever agree on and it's that life is unfair. Monumentally unfair. I mean you risk your life over and over on save-the- world missions, never asking for a dime, and it ends up costing you money!"

"Yo, dude, you're harshing my mellow."

"The whole thing sucks, Kim! You deserve so much more out of life than-"

"Hey!" His eyes widened and he fell silent. In a quieter tone she added, "I appreciate the sympathy, Ron. Really I do. And I'll add to this weekend's list of secret disclosures and admit I sometimes start feeling the same way you do. Not a lot, you understand, but once in awhile.

"But y'know, this isn't the time or place to dwell on those kind of thoughts." With a sudden smile she added, "Besides, Mr. Pendarvis, we are supposed to be on our honeymoon and my fragile ego can't take hearing the man I just married going on and on about how miserable life is."

He grinned and nodded and his nearer hand came up chest high. She watched the fingers flex a few times and then he extended the hand toward her in a jerky, hesitant manner.

Kim took it in her own and gave him an encouraging squeeze.

_Wow, that's something. By Ron standards that's like sticking his hands right on my- Well, that's progress, for sure._

"So, ah, KP. Tell me why we're making Luke's diner our first stop."

"Two reasons. First, if he hasn't forgiven us for misleading him last night, then we need to know that right away to assess the damage."

"Damage?"

"Well, in theory he could have spread it all over town who we really are and what we're doing here. I suppose he could even be making arrangements to turn us over to friends of the gunmen who attacked us last night."

"Do you think that's very likely?"

"No, not at all. I'm pretty good about reading people and I believe Luke Danes can help us even more than he already has. Certainly more than that GJ informant ever did."

"Okay, okay," said Ron. "Let's do it."

He pulled open the door to the diner and she followed him inside. There were more customers here now than last night but a few tables were still free.

"I wonder if we should just seat ourselves or... " Her eyes came to rest on a brown haired girl with glasses seated at the counter working a calculator. Kim crooked a finger at Ron and he followed her over.

"Hello, April. It looks like your father has you hard at work here."

The thirteen year old glanced down at the stack of receipts beside her, then back at Kim and Ron. Without turning away from them she called out, "Caesar, am I allowed to speak with these people? They seem to know me."

A round faced young man in a chef's apron peeked out from the kitchen. "I don't think I recognize you two. Have you been here before?"

"Lots a times," said Ron. "The Lukester and us, we go way back."

"So you're... old army buddies?" asked April with undisguised skepticism.

"Yeah, that's right. It was during the Big One and-"

"It's not Memorial Day until tomorrow, Ron. Let's save the war stories for then." Kim turned and gave April a wink. "So, what do you think the odds are that your father will in any way appreciate or encourage the name 'Lukester'?"

"About as likely as him offering to get _my_ nose pierced."

"I guess dads are the same all over, huh?"

"A thought that somehow manages to be disturbing and comforting at the same time," replied the girl. She considered them both for another moment, then said, "Caesar, I am moving these two out of the axe murderer category. Stand down."

"I'm putting away the rolling pin," she was informed as the cook disappeared from view.

The girl gestured at the open stools to her right. "So you know I'm April and I know he's Ron. That leaves your name still to be revealed... "

"Kim. And it's nice to meet you, April."

They shook hands and April nodded toward Ron.

"So, where do you two really know my dad from?"

"Actually we just met him yesterday. But I think he might be able to help us out with a little problem we're having."

"So you realized he's more teddy than grizzly? That's very perceptive of you."

Kim said, "Well, we kind of caught him in the act of being a softy a couple of times."

"Not that hard if you look for it. But if you've only known him twenty-four hours, how did_ I_ come into the conversation?"

"Umm, are you sure you want that question answered?"

The girl narrowed her eyes. "He didn't. He wouldn't."

"He did. And not just one picture, either. There were four in all."

"I didn't know he even had that many photos of me. Have I already used the word disturbing in this conversation?"

Before Kim could reply they were distracted by the sound of the street door being opened and then April muttered, "The Lukester returns."

Luke Danes surveyed the diner in a slow casual manner but seemed to freeze in place when he noticed Kim and Ron. Seconds ticked by and then he walked behind the counter. With his eyes locked on Kim's he said in a raised voice, "I'm back, Caesar."

"Okay, Luke."

More time past in silence before Kim said softly, "As threatened, the, uh, newlyweds have returned."

"Right. Have you ordered?"

"We can't right now. There's some business we have to take care of first." She glanced over at April. Clearly the girl was aware that there was something going on here below the surface.

Kim was trying to formulate her next sentence when Ron said, "So, Mr. D, this being a former hardware store and all, I'm betting you still have a lot of tools laying around."

"I do."

"And you know how to use them?"

"Yes."

Ron bent down and lifted her backpack off the floor. Opening it a few inches, he reached inside and pulled out her right mission glove. This was immediately shoved back and he groped around until he found the left one.

"Ron, what are you-"

He placed a finger on her lips long enough to silence her, then slid the glove across the counter. "So, uh, man to man," he paused momentarily to give Kim a challenging look, "what would you use to fix this kind of damage?"

_Ron, can't you see he's already really steamed at us? _Kim realized her fists were clenched at her sides and forced herself to relax, at least physically.

Luke picked the glove up, peeled back the torn fabric, and considered the severed wires within. "What's it do?"

After giving Ron an irritated look, Kim reached over the counter and pointed to the controls on the back of the glove. "When it's working properly, these buttons can send out activation signals to the... equipment I brought along for this trip."

"Radio signals?"

"Uh, I'm not sure about that," Kim admitted.

"How did it get damaged?"

"In our outing last night."

"Before or after I met you?"

"Before."

Luke gave Kim an appraising scrutiny just like he had done when she rescued him from the delivery truck a day and a half ago. Then he adjusted the fit of his baseball cap and said, "I can reattach these wires but if the electrical components inside are damaged... "

"I understand," Kim assured him. "And whether it works out or not, the effort would be greatly appreciated."

"The tools I'll need are upstairs."

"Okay. Would it be all right if I came up, too?"

He nodded. "April, can you help Caesar out until we get back?"

Kim followed him up a flight of unpainted wooden stairs and through a door with a frosted glass window pane. Inside was a large open area that seemed to be a combination kitchen, dining room, and bedroom.

He must have noticed her gaze wander from the unmade bed to the pile of dirty dishes in the sink because he said, "Feel free to insert a comment here about this being the maid's day off."

"Hey, I've seen Ron's room at its worst. Believe me, this is nothing."

Luke took a stack of newspapers off the small dining table and pulled out a chair for her. He disappeared from view for perhaps half a minute, then returned with a small gun like device and a pair of metal spools.

"My dad has one of those. It's called a, umm... "

"A soldering gun," supplied Luke as he plugged it into a high capacity extension cord he pulled out from behind the refrigerator. "It's old so it'll take a few minutes to warm up."

Looking her in the eye again he asked, "Why'd you get mad when he showed me the glove?"

"Because Ron just doesn't think sometimes. It's not right to keep imposing on people that you barely know. And that's especially true when they have already been very kind to you and you paid them back by repeatedly lying to them."

"So where does the not thinking part come in? He wanted the glove fixed so you could use whatever equipment it controls. This is yours, right? It sure as hell wouldn't fit him."

"It's mine. And yes, he did it for me. But that still doesn't make it right."

"Let me decide if I'm being imposed on," he told her flatly.

She swallowed. "Okay."

"You mentioned his room a minute ago and I'm not sure why you'd still be sticking to a cover story after our meeting last night. So does that mean the two of you really are married?"

"I , uh... "

_Man, even after like an hour's acquaintance, Luke could tell that there's something more than just a frienship or a working relationship between Ron and I. So why did it take so long for the idea to dawn on me?_

"We are not married. To each other or any one else. But we're... close. I've probably known him longer than April has been alive."

"And they let childhood sweethearts serve on undercover assignments together? That doesn't seem very professional."

_Childhood sweethearts. I've heard that phrase all my life and never once thought it described the two of us. Weird. _"We are good at what we do. Very good, in fact. But we're not really 'professional'."

"But those soldiers at the Whateley House took orders from you."

"Requests, not orders. I don't have any real authority over any government officials. Just a... reputation in certain quarters."

Kim saw confusion and a least a hint of disbelief on the man's face and wondered if she should just make a full disclosure here.

_The trouble is that although the Middleton news media likes to refer to me as 'world famous', the truth is that most people I meet, at least outside of the police, the military, or the scientific community, have usually not heard of Kim Possible. And a lot of the people who do think they recognize my name only think I have a line of clothing. Thank you again, Elsa Kleeg. _

"Luke, I'd be the first person to agree with you that my life is... different, and parts of who I am really don't make a whole lot of sense when you add them all together. But what you saw last night should be proof enough that I was sent here to Stars Hollow by the authorities to do a job. An important job."

"Arresting Whateley?"

"Well, that did tie in with our assignment. But there's still more to do."

Luke waited but Kim did not immediately elaborate. He moved a fingertip near the heating element of the soldiering gun. "It's ready now."

She watched him work for perhaps a full minute before asking, "What did Kirk say about Whateley, anyway? After you two left, I mean."

"Nothing that made much sense. And by the time I got him home, he seemed to have convinced himself that nothing unusual had really happened to him."

"So you don't think he's going to talk to other people about it?"

"Predictions are always dangerous when it comes to Kirk, and he hasn't been around to ask. But I can tell you that I haven't heard anyone else mention Whateley in the diner today. Except indirectly when they talked about all the helicopters flying around last night."

"Why didn't _you_ say anything, Luke?"

"Hold that wire back there. Don't let it touch the blue one. That's it. I didn't say anything because I thought the whole point of your disguise was to not let people know who you really were or why you came to Stars Hollow." He looked up from his work for a moment to ask, "So which is your real hair, black or red?"

"Red."

He nodded slightly and moved on to the last wire. When that was finished he got a roll of electrical tape from a nearby drawer and sealed up the tear on the fabric of the glove.

"Not pretty," said Kim. "But that's not what matters here. Thank you very much, Luke."

"Yeah, try it out."

"Believe me, that wouldn't go over too well downstairs. And I'd rather not use that equipment anywhere near the town square, anyway." She stood up. "I'd better get back and see what Ron's up to." _And apologize for overreacting._

"One more thing," said Luke. "I didn't tell anyone about last night but I did ask a few people about the woman you mentioned."

"Amy Hall? Really. What did you find out?"

"No one I spoke with remembered a person with that name. At least no one in Stars Hollow."

"Uh huh."

"But I also talked to April's mother a little while ago. She lives in Woodbury, a neighboring town, and she thought she recognized the name. She had a vague memory of a teenager named Amy Hall spending a summer in Woodbury twenty or more years ago and getting into trouble."

"What kind of 'trouble'?"

"Something about missing pets."

Kim got a prickling feeling at the back of her neck._ I can totally see a young Amy getting her start by kidnapping neighborhood cats and dogs for experimentation. _

"Do you know who she lived with back then?"

"An aunt and uncle. Both dead now."

_I've seen Amy's criminal record and I know she doesn't have any identifiable arrests in Connecticut or anywhere in New England. Still, in a small town they might have decided to handle the whole thing off the books. _

"Luke, this could turn out to be very helpful. Even more than the tip about Whateley. But you've got to back out of this. And tell April's mother to do the same. You wouldn't know it to look at her, but Amy Hall is extremely dangerous. And there may be more people out there searching for her. People who would do whatever it takes to stop me from returning her to prison."

He considered her words for several seconds before stating, "I'll call April's mom right now."

"Good. I'll meet you back in the diner."

Kim closed the door behind her and walked to the stairway. She pulled out the Global Justice cell phone and seated herself on the top step. After one quick jab of her thumb, she heard, "Good evening, Ms. Possible."

"Oh, I thought Agent Tagore would still be on duty."

"No. This is Agent Harvey. Can I help you with something?"

"Melissa Harvey?"

"That's right."

"You worked with Ron on the pre-mission preparations?"

"Right again."

Suddenly Kim recalled the young female GJ Agent she had seen Ron talking to last night.

_And not just talking either. Even as distracted as I was at the time, I still caught her rubbing his arm and stroking his face. I guess I'm not the only non-professional involved in this case after all._

Kim cleared her throat and asked, "Were you at the Whateley House this morning?"

"Yes I was. And wasn't that something?"

"It was something else," said the teen in a strained tone. "Absolutely unbelievable."

_I know she's only coming on to him in the hopes of advancing her own career. But will Ron be able to see through her scheming?_

"Uh, Ms. Possible? Was there something I could do for you?"

_For starters how about keeping your freakin' hands off of my... my... whatever Ron is to me these days._

Kim took a deep breath and forced herself to focus her thoughts back onto the mission. "There is a new angle I would like to have checked out, please."

"Okay."

"Can you see if there are any identifiable connections between DNAmy and Woodbury, a neighboring town of Stars Hollow."

"I've been over Amy's background information so many times I think I could recite it all from memory. But hey, another look is always worth a try."

"Thank you." _For agreeing to do your job. _

"It could make the search go faster if I had more specific information to seek out... "

"Did Amy ever live in Woodbury?"

"No," was the quick and decisive reply.

"You sound very sure of yourself."

"I've looked at hundreds of legal documents related to Amy. I don't believe there are any records on her from any unit of government at the local, state or federal level that I haven't already reviewed."

"What about relatives of hers, alive or dead, who might have lived in Woodbury?"

"None in the three generations that we've traced back her family tree to."

_How about that? You're actually pretty competent when you're not mauling seventeen year old boys._

Kim tapped a fingernail against her nose stud a few times before asking, "Have you talked to Sookie St. James?"

"Not specifically about Woodbury. But Ben, ah, Agent Tagore and I have both questioned her about Cousin Amy's local connections to the Stars Hollow area."

"Could you contact her again please, and ask about Woodbury. I know it doesn't fit the established facts but we've heard that a teenage Amy may have been there one summer with relatives."

"Certainly."

"And one last thing. If you could contact whatever sort of law enforcement they may have in Woodbury and see if someone, an old-timer I guess it would have to be, remembers anything about a rash of missing pets from twenty or more years ago."

"I'm on it. And as soon as I have any news, you'll be hearing from me. Harvey out."

Kim was still sitting there, thoughts and theories flitting through her head, when the door opened again.

Glancing over her shoulder, Kim asked, "Did you catch April's mother?"

"I did," replied Luke. "She hadn't mentioned the name to anyone because she's been working, and now she won't."

"Okay. We're probably being totally overcautious here, but no harm ever came out of being careful."

"Right." He gestured for her to start down the stairs first.

As they walked Kim said, "So, Luke, what do you know about the wildlife in this part of Connecticut?"

"A lot. I've been fishing and camping around here all my life."

_I knew it!_ "And what's the biggest animal you've ever seen locally?"

"Deer."

"Alright. And the biggest carnivore?"

"Black bear."

"And you'd know their paw prints if you saw them?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to get back to you on that topic."

They returned to the diner where April and Ron were still seated at the counter.

"I don't remember that either, okay?" said Ron, exasperation showing clearly in his tone.

"But it only happened two days ago," April pointed out.

"What did?" asked Kim.

"Your wedding."

"Oh, that."

"And hopefully it was a more memorable event for you than for your husband here."

"Well, I've been trying my hardest to forget it ever happened, but so far no luck."

Ron turned to give her a frown which quickly became a grin as he saw her smile. Kim held out her hand so he could the repair work on her glove, then she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.

_I hope you're getting this message, Ron. It's not the mission or the Moodulator that made me do that. I just want you to know how much I appreciate your concern for me, the way you always try to do what's in my best interest even when I make that very hard for you._

Her peripheral vision told Kim he was fingering the spot her lips had touched with a dazed expression but she focused on April as she asked, "And what was the question about our wedding?"

"I've always been fascinated by the vows people chose for their wedding ceremonies. That really says a lot about a person."

"I guess it does."

"So, do you remember your vows?"

Kim looked at Ron, who gave her the tiniest of shoulder shrugs, then over to Luke.

"April, let's not go into all that-"

"Wait," said Kim with her hand raised. "I just remembered. We kept it short and simple. Love. Honor. Rescue."

April's eyebrows drew together in confusion but Ron gave a lopsided smile and even Luke showed signs of mild amusement.

With a sour face and then a rueful smile his daughter said, "Okay. If it's suddenly become tease the adolescent time, I'm going to finish my homework upstairs."

When she was gone Kim bent down and pulled out the Kimmunicator from her pack. She flipped through the various file attachments Global Justice had forwarded to them until a picture of the mysterious prints observed at the Whateley House was displayed.

Handing the device over to Luke she asked, "Ever see a track like that before?"

"Never. It's not a bear. Or a bobcat. And if that's a real ruler positioned next to it, then whatever left that print has got to be... awfully damn big."

Kim and Ron exchanged looks of displeasure before she asked, "Isn't there supposed to be some kind of monster in a certain New England lake?"

"Lake Champlain in Vermont."

"Does Stars Hollow have any legends like that?"

"No."

Kim let her breath out slowly. "Okay. Just thought I'd ask. Ron, any questions I'm forgetting?"

"Well, there was one thing I've been wondering about for awhile now."

"What's that?" asked Luke.

"Could I have a couple of pieces of that cheesecake to go?"

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," said Kim as they walked back to the car. "You can stand up to Whateley no big, but when a thirteen year old girl asks a few innocent questions you fall to pieces."

"It was a full blown interrogation, KP! That kid tried to grill me like a shish kabob."

"What exactly did she did she want to know?"

"Things like where was I from? What do I do?"

"Man, she must be the most evil teenybopper ever."

"All right, Kim. Maybe it wasn't April. I guess I just got... forgetful."

"Agent Harvey wouldn't like to hear that the cover story she worked so diligently on really wasn't all that memorable to you." _Okay, Possible, retract your claws already._ "Ron, it wasn't forgetfulness. I-"

At that moment the twilight gloom was dispelled when the lights strung on the gazebo and all the trees in the town square turned on simultaneously.

Kim held her hands up and said, "I have an idea!" Ron gave her a brief, unconvincing smile and she shrugged. "Anyway. I think you forgot the cover story because of me, Ron. I got tweaked about something I shouldn't have, and that distracted you."

"I guess. But even so, I'm just not good with secrets, KP. You know that."

"I used to believe that. Now I know different."

That brought their walk to a halt as he turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's the whole Yamanuchi sitch for one thing."

"Oh. Right."

_Why is he suddenly all relieved? What secret did he think I meant? Has he finally made the connection between Rory and Florida?_

"Yamanuchi was a shock for sure," she continued in a tentative voice. "But maybe you were just thinking of something else?"

He gave her a wary look and a slight shake of his head.

_He's never gonna bring that subject up on his own, Kim. So either you take the initiative or let it go forever. And technically, I _am _allowed to ask. The promise to Mom was to not discuss our future. The past, Ron's past, is fair game here. At any rate, I've revealed plenty of my own inner thoughts and secrets this weekend. Time to remind him this is a two-way street. _

Kim eyed the empty bench less than ten feet away from them for a moment, then said, "Uh, let's head back to the car." _A temporary respite only!_

They had walked about a dozen steps before Kim added, "But, hey, I'd really prefer we didn't eat in a car that's not actually ours so if you want to hang out here for awhile to scarf down some cheesecake, that's cool."

"Nah. Let's hit it."

"Right. I'll drive."

Ron shifted the carry-out bag to his other hand and fished the car keys out of his pants pocket. He tossed them her way and asked, "So where we headed now, anyway?"

"That depends. Your 'go anywhere' pledge still in effect?"

"Yep."

"The next stop will be a risky one."

"Well, that'll be different."

"I'm not talking about the usual dangers here, Ron."

"Snapping turtles and Spinning Tops of Doom?"

"Nope. The problem won't be a super-villain deathtrap." She paused to ensure there was no one in their immediate vicinity. "I mean to break the law. Make that several laws. If we're caught, Global Justice might have to hang us out to dry."

He gave her a twisted grin. "Well, sure. You won't let me copy off your school work, but I'm your first choice when you need a partner for your criminal activities."

"Right and right," she said with a smile. "So, you in?"

"All in."

Five minutes later Kim parked the car on a residential block in the relative darkness between the two nearest street lights. She pulled the GPS device out of its cradle and tapped on the tiny keyboard for a moment. "Yes. Okay. One block over and three houses to the left is where Sookie St. James lives."

"You talked about checking that out last night."

"But we got sidetracked." She glanced over one shoulder, then the other. "Hand me my backpack, please."

When he had done that he reached around for his own.

"Leave it, Ron."

"But I'll need my mission clothes, too."

"No, you won't."

"Kim, I think the whole Whateley deal showed us we shouldn't separate on missions."

"If this tanks, I'll need you here behind the wheel."

"But if there is-"

"Getaway driver, Ron," said Kim, putting an edge in her voice.

"Fine," he huffed.

She looked up and down the street again, then took off the wig and tossed it onto his lap. The glasses, nose stud and wedding ring were placed in a cubbyhole on the dashboard. Kim removed her shoes and pulled her mission top, pants, and equipment belt out of her pack.

As soon as her fingers touched the zipper pull of her hoodie his head swiveled away from her fast enough to make her wince.

"Don't go all scrunch-eyed on me, Stoppable. I need you on look-out duty here. In fact, dig out your night goggles. Uh, please."

Ron turned toward the backseat again and started rummaging through his pack.

Seconds ticked by, lots of them. Kim shifted to her right and was confronted by the sight of his blue jean clad backside just inches from her face.

_Maybe a pinch would hurry things- _

At that instant the interior of the car seemed to have suddenly been transformed in a combination wind tunnel and laser light show. He was slammed back against her and Kim's head collided with the driver's side window.

But it ended as abruptly as it had began. Ron pushed himself off of her and sank into his seat again. Kim surveyed the street in every direction but saw nothing that could explain what they had just experienced.

"Did you... Do you know... "

He let out a shaky breath. "Magic. That was magic."

"Monkey magic?"

"No. Well, maybe. That might make it more intense. But this is what caused it." He twisted around and brought his backpack into the front seat. "Look inside."

"An old fashioned key."

"With mystical properties. I found it at Whateley's house. It had been stuck inside that Necro whatever book but I guess it fell out."

"What does it do?"

"When you touch it or even come real close to it, a portal opens up."

"To what?"

"A happy memory."

"Really? So it's like a special kind of a time machine."

"Uh huh.

"If, umm, you don't mind me asking, what did you just see?"

"You. Being named Cheer Captain."

A feeling of incredible warmth seemed to suddenly surge through her entire body. _I could just eat you up right now, Ronald Maxwell Stoppable. We are so gonna talk when we punch out on this mission. Well, at first we'll talk. After that, maybe not so much. _

She was pulled away from a very pleasant mental image by the sound of his voice.

"The trunk, don't you think? To be on the safe side."

"Wha-No, you can't be without your backpack for the rest of the weekend. You may need it. We just have to get the key put away someplace safe."

"It might not do anything if _you_ touch it."

"Yeah, maybe... " _Or it could reveal some embarrassing thought I'm having about you._"But I'm not gonna take a chance like that. Umm, let's take a look in the glove compartment."

They ended up dropping the key onto the car's opened owner's manual, then closing the book and placing it inside a plastic trash bag which was tied shut tightly.

When that bundle had been placed out of sight inside his backpack, he looked through various pockets of his mission pants until the night glasses were located.

"Okay," said Kim. "It's back on me again."

She started to draw down the zipper of her top and he yanked frantically on the door handle next to him. With a muttered, "I can keep watch better from outside," he exited the car.

_Yeah, I get the idea, Ron. Just buy me a dog collar for my next birthday and be done with it. _

When she was finished, Kim reached up and flipped the switch that would prevent the overhead light from activating when a car door opened. She stepped out onto the street and asked, "Still all quiet?"

"Uh huh." At first she thought he wasn't going to turn around to face her, and when he did all he said was, "You've got wig head again."

"The plan is to _not_ be seen, Ron."

"Wouldn't most burglars have that same wish?" While she pondered that, he added, "Think of your mug-shot photo, KP."

Kim pulled an elastic band from one of the compartments of her equipment belt and started to gather her hair up at the back of her neck. "Okay, so just stay put unless you see somebody giving you funny looks. If that happens, drive off but keep circling the block. And if things really get hairy, just go back to the Inn and wait there for me."

"I should be writing all this down."

If any one else had said that, Kim would know it was a joke, but his current expression was completely serious. "There's really only one thing here to worry about, Ron."

"Which is?"

"You, here by yourself. Alone. And then... "

"Yeah?"

"And then another thirteen year old girl comes along asking questions."

With a twisted up mouth, he said, "See you on visiting day, KP."

After a moment of silent eye contact they both began to smile, and with a nod of farewell Kim began to walk casually along the sidewalk. She passed a few houses, then stopped to kneel down beside the trunk of a mammoth oak tree. After putting on her own night vision glasses, and while her fingers went through the pretense of tying shoe laces, Kim looked up to consider the path of the tree's spreading branches.

_You know, this could just work. And miracle of miracles, I might even be back before he's eaten all of the cheesecake._

Kim glanced around one more time and then scrambled up the tree with a speed and assurance she found very comforting given the recent injuries to her left leg. Twenty feet off the ground, she began to move along a nearly horizontal tree limb in tightrope walker fashion for as far as it would support her. She bounced up and down a few times before launching herself through the air. A dozen feet away one of her gloved hands fastened onto another branch which creaked but held her weight.

Six trees, three house roofs, and a couple of utility lines later, Kim was standing in the backyard of Sookie St. James.

_Now if Ron had come with me that would have meant fence hopping and those flattering jeans he's wearing would be rag bag material right about now. _

Sookie's house was completely dark and no motion detectors were visible so the teen walked toward the backdoor. She pulled a cup shaped device from her equipment belt and fastened it to the doorknob. Soft metallic clinking noises came to her ears for a few seconds, then a tiny green light began to glow to indicate the door was now unlocked.

Kim returned the gadget to her belt and stepped inside. She moved through a rather cluttered laundry room and into the kitchen.

_I wonder if I'm getting a look at what future Ron's house or apartment is going to look like. Shiny pots and pans hanging down from the ceiling, a million different knives and cleavers, herbs drying in neat little racks. _

From where Kim stood the front door was visible and there was a small pile of mail on the floor beside it. She looked through the envelopes and magazines but saw nothing that seemed to be mission related.

Her eyes roved around the front room until she noticed the answering machine. It had no lights, blinking or otherwise, and Kim quickly realized it had been unplugged. She restored the electrical connection and pressed the button that would play the recorded messages.

The first one was a reminder of an upcoming appointment for an auto tune-up. The second was notice that some sort of farming equipment had come. The next voice was that of Lorelai Gilmore asking Sookie if she had made a decision yet about switching meat vendors.

Message number four was the one that counted.

"Hello, Sookie. This is your cousin Amy. I know we've had our differences in the past but I'm hoping we can both put the bad feelings aside. I want to go on a trip to someplace far away but will need money to do that. If my leaving is something you would like, then get the cash together today and we'll talk when I call tonight. And I will close here by just reminding you one more time that Barnabas was already very old by parrot standards and you wouldn't have had much more time with him anyway."

_Yep, that's DNAmy all right. And if Sookie had just called the police as soon as she got this message, Amy'd be on her way to prison right now. _

_And as for me, I'd be back in Middleton, probably up in my room, hoping for some kind of mission to distract me from the constant worries about my fighting ability and my mental health..._

_Things happen for a reason, Kim. You've lived your whole life by that philosophy so don't abandon it now just because the future seems so uncertain. _

Amy's recording was the last one. Apparently after receiving that message, Sookie had unplugged the machine and fled with her family to that hotel where Ron had tracked her down.

Kim pulled the power cord out again and stood up. She had no stomach for searching through drawers or cupboards for information related to Amy, so she contented herself with an examination of the home's doors and windows. Satisfied there were no indications of forcible entry, successful or otherwise, Kim exited through the backdoor and locked it behind her.

The backyard was not large but it was carefully maintained and so a broken branch on an azalea bush was noticeable even from several yards away. She walked over to it and pulled aside the sagging branch. The soil here was very moist due to a nearby sprinkler head and the print it held was quite detailed. Even the briefest of examinations was enough for Kim to realize it was identical to the mysterious tracks photographed at the Whateley House.

Her head snapped upwards and she considered the trees and shrubbery around her with renewed interest. Satisfied once more that she alone in the backyard, Kim bent down to examine the print mark.

_Let's see. The last time it rained in Stars Hollow that I'm aware of was Friday night, so this track must date back before that. Or would the leaves of this plant shelter it from the rain and keep it intact indefinitely?_

_Quite frankly, I don't have the woodcraft skills to answer that. But I know this means something. We have collected another piece of the jigsaw puzzle we're building out here. Two pieces if we include the wording of Amy's phone message. But how the heck do they all fit together?_

Kim's return to the Global Justice vehicle was without incident and Ron spotted her approach in time to unlock the passenger side door before she touched the handle.

"Problems?" he asked when she was seated and belted in.

"Not exactly. But let's not linger here."

As they drove aimlessly through quiet residential neighborhoods Kim told him about the strange footprint and the context of the last phone message.

"Well, we already knew there was a connection between Amy and Whateley. She's been to his house."

"Yeah, but why?" asked Kim. "If we assume he was behind her prison break-out, then what was she supposed to do for him? And why, as of Friday afternoon was she looking for money so she could get away from Connecticut?"

"I don't know. Times three. Where to next?"

_Do I look like I have a clue? _"Umm, let's just pull over here... Okay. When I was upstairs at the diner I asked GJ for a couple of new information requests. Why don't you call them and see if there's any news."

He fished the cell phone out of his pants pocket and pressed a button. "Hi, Mel. How's it going?"

Ron listened with narrowed eyes for several seconds before replying, "It's not like that at all. We're just kind of spinning our wheels out here and-"

He fell silent as soon as he noticed the glare suddenly directed his way. "I, uh, we'll call you right back."

The instant his finger touched the end call button Kim asked, "Why did you say that?" Her tone was below a shout but far higher than was necessary for two people seated on the front seat of the same vehicle.

"So you _do_ know exactly what our next stop is?" he countered.

"I'm not completely without ideas here, Ron. But Agent Harvey probably thinks that now."

"No, she doesn't. Everybody at Global Justice knows better than that, KP."

"Yeah, sure. Anyway, the idea about calling GJ wasn't to ask for suggestions on what to do next. I was trying to save time for all of us. I thought we'd offer to go see the hospital nurse. Remember, the one who met the college boy who got hurt at the Whateley House?"

"Okay, so call Melissa and see if she can give us an address."

Kim hesitated, then shook her head. "No. You call her back." _I'm not going to have anybody think I don't trust you talking to women, uh, people. _"But put the call on speaker phone. Y'know, just so we don't waste all that time repeating things back and forth."

"Right." Ron raised up his GJ phone and considered the various buttons on the control pad. "Let's see here. Speaker phone function. I just need to bring up the correct menu, then the sub-menu. Nothing to it, really."

His eyes wandered slowly from the phone to her face.

"I didn't say a thing," Kim assured him, not able to completely mask a growing smile.

"Ah, my mistake."

_Come on, already. Take pity on the guy. _"But I was wondering if your astigmatism might be acting up again."

"My wha... My astigmatism? Yes, actually it is. And they make these keys so darn small."

"Well then, why don't you let me do it?"

He handed her the phone with remarkable speed. She pressed the required buttons and placed it back in his palm.

"Thanks to you and your young eyes, KP." He tapped the redial button and put the phone down on the seat between them.

"Hi again, Ron," said Agent Harvey.

"Hey, Mel. Got ya on speaker phone. Kim's here with me."

"Hello, Ms. Possible."

_And she becomes all stiff and formal as soon as she finds out I'm listening here, too. _"Sorry if there was any kind of confusion about us calling you back so soon, Agent Harvey. I was just thinking maybe we could help with the tracking down of some of these people we've been asking about. Like for instance, the Erlanger woman."

"She's working right now. In fact as of a few minutes ago, she was assisting with an operation. Not sure how long that's going to take but her shift tonight runs until midnight."

"All right then. No time crunch there. What about the Woodbury Police angle?"

"I have a name and contact information for the former chief. He's retired now and lives in Florida but I'm going to call as soon as we're done here."

_The world is just _not _going to let me forgot about Florida!_

Kim tore her eyes away from Ron's face and back toward the phone. "Ms. Erlanger works at the County Hospital, right?"

"Right. It's about fifteen, maybe twenty minutes from your current... current position. Okay, now this is getting weird."

"What is it?" asked Kim.

"Well, maybe weird is too strong a word. But it is a little odd."

"Yes?"

The GJ agent breathed heavily into her microphone. "You know, ever since you two were ambushed last night we've been monitoring phone traffic into and out of the Dragonfly."

"We didn't know that, actually. But go on."

"Not listening in on conversations, you understand. Just seeing who's calling there and who's being called."

"Okay. So where does the weirdness come in?"

"Somebody inside the Inn, at the front desk to be more precise, has just made a third call to a local business in a ten minute time span."

"The same business?"

"No, different locations. But the same type of business each time."

"Which was?"

"Horse whisperer."

Kim mulled that over for several seconds. "There are two horses at the Dragonfly. Rory showed them to me yesterday afternoon. But they didn't seem at all skittish or high strung. So what could have changed between then and now?"

"What hasn't changed?" muttered Ron.

"It has been a pretty eventful twenty-four hours," his fellow teen agreed. "We certainly have more puzzle pieces in hand now than we- Puzzles!" She pointed at the steering column. "Start the car! Go! We need to get back to the Inn, pronto."

There was a heart-pounding near collision turning onto Third Street, which showed them small town drivers had a mastery of profanity equal to their big city counterparts, but they reached the Dragonfly without actual damage to property or person.

Even before they had come to a complete stop in front of the Inn, Kim was out of the car and up on the porch peering through a window toward the registration desk. No one in sight there.

She turned toward the stables to her right. Almost immediately an irregular series of thumping noises came to her ears. She was about to dart forward when Ron grabbed hold of her wrist.

"What?" she hissed.

He held out her jacket.

_Yeah, only Ron would think a pink hoodie goes with olive green cargo pants. But on the other hand, it's probably best if Kim Pendarvis doesn't go around showing off her belly button. _

She quickly pulled on the garment and then a gloved hand drifted up to her red hair.

"Here you go." They worked together to pull up her ponytail and placed the wig back on her head. Kim zipped up the jacket as they walked through the open door to the stable.

"Rory, is everything okay here?"

The young auburn haired woman whirled around. "Oh, Kim, Ron, thank God! It's Cletus**. **He seems to be having the equine equivalent of a nervous breakdown here."

She was standing in front of a wooden stall which held a bay horse with a splash of white on the face. He paced nervously back and forth as much as the space would allow.

"Where's his handler, Rory? The man I met yesterday."

"Tony. Cletus banged into him and he's got a sprained wrist. It may even be broken. Mom drove him to Litchfield to have it looked at."

Kim had to raise her voice a little to be heard over the kicking Cletus was doing to the back of his stall. "That's okay. We'll manage. Isn't that right, boy?"

As Kim slowly stepped toward the stall, Rory said, "I tried humming to him, and even singing, which I very rarely do outside of a sound-proofed shower. But nothing seems to calm him down. Okay, so not everybody is a Leonard Cohen fan, but still... "

Kim stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder. When she had Ron's attention, Kim gestured at her own eyes, made a circle with an upturned finger, then pointed at him. Whether through a telepathic connection or just years of teamwork, he immediately nodded his understanding and went off to check the area outside the stables.

His best friend started forward again, cooing, "What's the matter, big guy? You tell Kim all about it." In a more normal tone she asked, "What's the other horses' name again?"

"Desdemona."

"So how come you're not calm like Desdemona? Don't you know males are supposed to be like statutes? Never let anybody know what you're thinking or, even worse, what your real feelings might be about something or someone."

Kim was about to silently chide herself for letting her personal sitch interfere with more pressing matters when she realized something. Both Cletus and Desdemona looked at her occasionally but more often their attention was focused in Rory's direction.

"Rory, you usually get along with the horses, don't you?"

"Well, like I already told you, I'm not really a horse lover. A bad childhood experience-"

"You and Ron will have something to talk about later."

"Okay, but, hey, you were in here with me yesterday and they didn't act like this."

"That's right, they didn't." _So why are they looking at her now like she's an advance agent for a glue factory? Is it a different perfume she's wearing now or could it be that time of the-_

_Hold on here!_

Kim had glanced behind where the young woman was standing. The teen had already noted the bales of straw and stacked canvas bags of feed in that darkened corner of the stable but just now for an instant she had caught sight of a strange golden glitter above Rory's head.

_Is that two fireflies? No! _

Kim's pulse began to accelerate but she managed to keep her voice casual as she said, "Rory, I think I just lost one of my contacts in the hay. Can you come over here, slowly and carefully, and help me look for it?"

"Ah, all right." The Yale student took a few steps forward but froze in place when a low rumbling sound came from behind her. Rory's blue eyes went very wide but Kim's covert head shake was enough to stop her from turning around.

"C'mon, Gilmore. You gonna help me here or not," demanded Kim, putting a gruffness in her voice to prod the young woman into moving again.

Cletus' assault on the walls of his stall seemed to escalate, and even Desdemona had started to stamp in place and toss her head anxiously.

_You're an Ivy Leaguer, Rory. Use those brains now and stop yourself from turning around. That's right, slow and steady, just keep walking toward me and maybe we'll both get out of this okay. _

But just how long Rory's nerve would have held up was to remain an unanswered question that evening because when Ron reappeared at the stable door, he was greeted with a roar that was startlingly loud.

With a brief almost apologetic look at Kim, Rory began to twist in place, some irresistible impulse forcing her to get a look at whatever it was behind her making all the noise.

_Big mistake, young lady_, flashed quickly through Kim's brain even as she launched herself forward into harm's way.

* * *

(More author notes:

April Nardini, Caesar LNU, Luke Danes, and Rory Gilmore all appear in the Gilmore girls TV show which was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All these characters are used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	14. Struggling

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Sunday Evening:

_Good thing I hit the bathroom before we left Luke's Diner_, decided Ron Stoppable, even as the unseen creature's roar made the lower half of his body feel all weak and wobbly. _Otherwise, I think the list of the un-housebroken in this stable might have a new entry. _

_And it looks like Rory Gilmore is about ready to join the club. _

The auburn haired beauty seemed paralyzed with fear, or at least she was until Kim Possible gave her a shove that propelled her a dozen feet closer to the door.

Unfortunately that action left his best friend ill-prepared for the thing rushing toward her out of the shadowy corner. She managed to get a foot up and in contact with her attacker's midsection, but wasn't properly braced for the impact. Kim tumbled backwards and her head struck a wooden support beam with an audible thunk.

Ron found he suddenly had a pitchfork in his hands so he yelled wordlessly and raced forward.

_Be careful what you wish for. Okay, now I understand why that's a good idea. I wanted to draw it away from Kim and I've done that. So what comes next? I mean besides bleed to death and/or help this thing maintain a carb free diet._

In the stronger light at the center of the stable he saw the creature was at least as tall as himself and wore an over-sized camouflage poncho that covered everything except its clawed hands and feet. A tightly fastened hood obscured most of its face, but from certain angles the glitter of fangs and weird yellow eyes were noticeable.

Ron jabbed out with the pitchfork as the thing started toward him, but a single swipe of its right paw snapped off the metal head of the tool and sent it flying through the air with force enough to embed deeply into the opposite wall.

"And I'm supposed to be impressed? My friend, KIM! could tell you that I've broken lots bigger things than that. Yep, just ask KIM! KIM! knows that even on an off day I usually break two or three things. Yeah, and some of the stuff I break actually belongs to KIM!"

"Okay, Ron. Enough already. I was just dazed for a second, not in a coma." Kim was back on her feet now and for some reason she had taken off the black wig. She caught his eye for an instant, then looked at Rory and jerked her head toward the door. She started brushing pieces of straw from her clothes, but her eyes were now focused on the shrouded thing.

"You were waiting here for us, weren't you? Why? Who sent you?"

There was no reply to Kim's questions but it did turn to face her and Ron was able to move over to Rory's side.

"What is that thing?" whispered the college student, oblivious to all the whinnying noise coming from the horses, and apparently afraid that a normal tone of voice would draw its attention back on her.

"Uhh, well... "

"We need to call someone. The police or animal control or someone!"

"No, we don't. Kim won't hurt it. Not unless she has to, anyway."

Rory tore her gaze away from the sight of a suddenly redheaded Kim and a hooded inhuman thing circling each other warily and looked at Ron. She opened her mouth but couldn't seem to formulate a response to his last statement.

Ron set the pitchfork handle down against the wall and started to gently push her through the open door. "Kim's gonna want this building closed up so you need to go outside."

"But then she'll be trapped in here with it!"

"It's what we do, Rory. Now get out of here, please, so I can get back to helping her."

"I... No! I'm going to stand by the door and keep it open a crack so that if you or Kim - that is still Kim, right? - need to get away, you can."

Ron looked back at his best friend. She was clearly on the defensive now and there was a large shredded gap in her jacket where her stomach showed through.

"Okay, whatever." Ron snatched up the wooden handle again and moved forward.

"Hey!" protested Kim. "I thought you were going to get Rory out of here."

"Yeah, well, since when do girls ever do what I want 'em to?"

"Oh, I can think of at least two occasions."

"What are you talking about?"

"Never mind." She threw herself to one side to avoid another slash of its claws. "Rory, please go outside and close that door!"

"No!"

"Ha!" said Ron, feeling vindicated. Kim gave him a quick, displeased look, and then something else came into her eyes. "So, uh, Ron. When does Global Justice get here with those gas bombs?"

After an instant of alarm, it occurred to him this was a bluff. Or a test. She wanted to see if the creature could understand human speech.

"Well, KP, there won't be any traffic problems this time of night, so I expect they'll get here pretty quick."

The roar that followed his lie was loud enough to rattle windows. _I guess that settles the comprehension question. But if it believes reinforcements are coming, then it's gonna get even more aggressive._

Naturally Kim had already anticipated that. Even as it whirled in Ron's direction with the evident intent of plowing through him and onto the exit, she darted forward to grab hold of the back of its poncho.

It was instantly halted in place and then before it could attempt to break free, the teen pulled back hard enough to slam it to the floor.

"Get that rope over there!"

Ron dropped the wooden staff and ran to a spot on the wall behind him.

No doubt Kim had hoped it would be stunned long enough for them to be able to tie it up, but it was upright again and hissing with anger in a matter of seconds.

Kim evaded the raking claws, once, twice, but the third time snagged an edge of her already torn jacket. Instantly realizing her ability to dodge was gone, she thrust herself forward and butted her head against its unseen face. Without waiting to see that blow's effect, Kim followed it with a knee strike and then a sweeping kick to the side of its head.

Again Kim's hopes that their attacker had been knocked out were dashed all too quickly. After a moment's pause, it brought up both claws and stretched out for his best friend's face. Kim grabbed each of its wrists and threw herself backwards. Her shoes caught it in mid torso. She bent her legs, then straightened them again. It was flipped through the air a dozen feet and landed with a thump in front of Desdemona's stall.

Knowing the effect this would have on the already terrified horses, Kim was there an instant later. She picked the creature up, lifted it over her head, spun it around several times, then launched it in the direction of the central support beam. The impact caused the entire stable to shake but the thing in the poncho was motionless now.

"Here's the rope, KP."

Kim laid the creature out face down on the ground and sat on its back. Then she placed its wrists together so Ron could loop the rope tightly around them several times.

While they worked Kim called out, "Rory, it's safe to come back and speak to the horses again."

Then they started binding its ankles together as well.

Rory's attempts at calming down Cletus and Desdemona weren't having much effect so Kim suggested she and Ron carry the creature outside the stable.

Laying their burden down again about ten feet from the door, Kim said, "Keep an eye on things out here while I go help with the horses."

"What about calling GJ for another prisoner pick up?"

Kim brushed a strand of hair back from her face. "Well, we'll need to make some kind of transfer arrangements soon. But I'd prefer the handover not be here at the Inn, though. Our cover story still might be salvageable. So let's think about it for another minute or so, okay?"

"Okay, Kim."

"Now dig out your night glasses again. You have to keep an eye on our new friend there, and also what's happening around us." In a lowered voice, she added, "It may not have come here alone."

"Right."

As she returned to the stable interior, Ron pulled on his glasses and saw the thing they had captured was still lying on the ground motionlessly. He walked a short distance away and surveyed the area on either side of the stables but could see nothing moving around him, human or otherwise.

The sound of nervous horses lured him back to the stable door. They seemed less agitated now but were still banging against their stalls occasionally. He glanced briefly at the prisoner, then slipped the glasses up to the top of his head and looked inside.

_Man, KP, isn't there a limit on how many times a day you have to put your life on the line?_

His best friend was actually inside Cletus' stall now, her arm outstretched so she could stroke his neck. He tossed his head and stamped his hooves at first, but then appeared to slowly relax under her continuing touch and murmurs of sympathy.

_Well, that would have the exact opposite reaction with me, but the horse seems to be calming down. Both horses actually. _

_So there we are, still more proof that Kim Possible can do just about anything she sets her mind to._

A faint unidentifiable noise caused him to turn around but without the night vision glasses in place, he was practically blind. A fast moving blob, darker than the surrounding gloom, knocked him to the ground and sent the glasses flying.

Breath had been forced out of his lungs by the impact and he was having trouble filling them again because something very heavy was pressing down on his chest.

As his eyes began to adjust to the dim light from the front of the Inn and the interior of the stable, he saw that the creature in the poncho was staring down at him from a distance of perhaps eighteen inches. The hood was still pulled up over its head but a pair of golden eyes were now clearly visible.

Ron tried to rise but stopped as soon as he felt the tips of its claw begin to press down on his flesh. When he laid back, the points were withdrawn.

_I guess it likes to play with its food first_, he decided, his mind attempting to calculate how much of a warning to Kim he could get out before it silenced him forever.

While one paw continued to rest heavily on his sternum, the other came into view as it hovered slowly above his face. Two talons pointed menacingly at his eyes for a long moment, then moved to one side and scratched at the dirt by his ear.

The hood came close to his face once again, nearer even than before, and he distinctly heard the sound of the thing smelling him.

_Warn Kim! Shout out to her while you still have an intact throat. Let her know this thing is loose again before it ambushes her too. _

But he couldn't get his lungs to work properly with what seemed like the creature's full weight crushing him into the dirt, and the jackhammer intensity of his heartbeat didn't make it any easier to form words.

Its head lowered still further. The teen felt its warm moist breath fan his face, once, twice. Then something wet and hot touched his neck and traveled upwards past his jaw to his cheek. But even as the realization dawned that he had just been licked, the thing sprang off into the darkness using his chest and stomach as launching board.

He rolled on his side, gasping quietly as he struggled to get air back inside his body and keep the contents of his stomach from leaving it.

Ron was facing toward the stable door now and saw a female figure suddenly silhouetted there. Kim and Rory had similar body types, but he knew instantly it was his best friend. The mission clothes told him as much but even if they had been dressed identically, there was no other girl, make that woman, in the world with hair as full and thick and touchable as Kim's.

Almost literally in the blink of an eye she was kneeling down beside him. "Ron?"

He tried to speak but only the faintest of whispers emerged because his ribcage hurt too much to draw a deep breath.

"What happened? What's wrong with you?"

"I... It... "

As soon as it became apparent he couldn't answer, Kim scooped him up in her arms and ran back inside the stable. He was gently lowered to the brightest spot on the floor while she bent over him. Her fingers flew from place to place, checking his eyes, pulse, respiration.

"All okay," she muttered. "But obviously he isn't... "

She lifted each of his arms in turn, looking them over carefully, then did the same to his legs.

"Nothing." She stared into his eyes but just as he was about to attempt to speak again, she gripped his shoulder and turned him on his side so she could examine his back.

Rory knelt down beside them. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know," Kim snapped, then repeated the sentence in a softer, more uncertain tone.

"Well, there's no blood, so that's good, right? It couldn't have hurt him too badly."

Kim nodded in a distracted manner as her gaze moved up and down his body. "Maybe the injuries are internal. Help me get his clothes off."

She reached down with the intent of moving him into a sitting position but he seized both her hands in his and wouldn't let go.

"Didn't... "

That time he was able to reach a volume that she could perceive even in an agitated mind state.

"Didn't what? Didn't hurt you?"

He nodded his head, which wasn't easy from a prone position. "Could have... Didn't."

"Then why are you having so much trouble talking?"

He pulled his hands out of hers and used a down turned finger to indicate the general area of his upper torso.

"Your chest? What did it do to you?"

"Knocked the... wind out of me... Twice."

Kim pressed her lips tightly together and closed her eyes for a moment. When they opened again, she asked, "Can you stand up?"

That was the last thing he wanted to do just then, but he knew there was no time for a leisurely recovery. Kim and Rory each took a hand and slowly pulled him back to his feet.

His attempt to mask the pain he was feeling didn't fool Kim and she asked, "How bad is it, Ron? And I want an honest answer."

He whispered, "Like three out of ten."

She gave him a skeptical look. "Can you lift your arms?"

When he had done so, she pulled on his sweater until it was bunched up around his neck and shoulders. "Don't go out there, Rory. Not just yet."

"Do you think that thing could still be around?" the young woman asked.

"Probably not. But we'll find out together in just a minute."

Finished with the visual inspection of her best friend, Kim said, "Point to exactly where it hurts. Just in the front? Not the back or your sides? Okay, so where in the front? But not a specific location? Huh." She looked him in the eye. "How much does it hurt to breathe?"

He made a waggling gesture with one hand.

"Well, that's what I need you to do. As deep and as full as you can stand." Kim brushed her hair back behind her ear and placed her head against the right side of his ribcage. "Start now."

It was painful at first but in a remarkably short span of time the wonderful sensation of her face and her hair touching several different places on his chest meant that the examination ended all too quickly.

Kim straightened up and said, "Nothing's broken, I'd swear to that. But it's probably going to hurt for awhile."

"It's already feeling better," he assured her. His voice sounded low and strained but was clearly moving back toward normal.

"Right," said Kim. "So what exactly happened out there?"

"Ahhh." Ron tried to stall by tugging his sweater back into place but she was still watching him appraisingly when it was down again. "Umm, I wasn't watching it as closely as I should have been."

"Why?"

"Well... " His gaze darted over toward Cletus and Desdemona.

"Because you were distracted by me moving in close to the horses and was afraid I'd get hurt."

He put a hand on the back of his neck and looked away.

"Ron! That was really, really-" She paused, exhaled slowly, then continued in a calmer tone. "Listen, I know that after last night I've got no right to finger point. At you or anybody else. But when I think about what could have happened to you out there-"

"Yeah, KP," he said, raspy voiced. "Could have. But didn't." He massaged his chest for a moment. "Seems like we should figure out why that was."

Kim nodded thoughtfully, then turned to her left. "Okay, Rory. You wait here with Ron for a minute while I... I... Is something wrong?"

"Oh, sorry for staring." Rory raised her hand up to lightly touch the teen's red hair. "Is this real?"

"Yes," Kim said with a slight frown.

"Oh my God! It must kill you to have to cover it up when you go out in public."

Kim looked at Ron for a moment, long enough for him recognize that the comment had both pleased and embarrassed her. In an uncharacteristic mumble, she said, "I'll be right back."

After Kim had put on her night vision glasses and stepped outside, Rory asked, "I didn't say something wrong, did I?"

"Nah."

"Good." She considered his appearance for a long moment. "So what's real about you, Ron?" After a quick humorless laugh, she added, "Listen to me still calling you Ron."

"Why not? That's my name."

"Ron Pendarvis?"

"Uh, the last name is borrowed."

"And the real one's top secret?"

"Well... "

She nodded slightly and fell silent.

_I don't know her very well but it almost seems like she's a little bit hurt by the whole secret identity thing. _

"Rory, it's like we told Luke, just because we have to hold things back from people doesn't mean-"

"You've seen Luke? And he knows the real story about you two?"

_When am I ever gonna learn to keep my big mouth shut?_

"We ran into him out in the woods last night. See there was this creepy old house-"

"That's right! You told my mother you were out hiking and Kim got hurt."

"She _was _hurt. And still isn't in top shape. But hiking wasn't the cause of it."

"And Kim isn't her name, either?"

"Actually, it is."

They both turned toward the door just as the teen was taking off her night glasses. "Rory, it sounds like you're ready for some straight talk from us."

"That _would_ be nice. As long as it's not one of those deals where you tell me and then you have to kill me." The teens exchanged glances and Rory added, "See, my mother is so good at the tension easing quip, and, obviously, I'm not." Her gaze drifted over to the corner of the stable where the hooded thing had jumped out at her, then back to Kim. "Besides, if you _really_ wanted me dead, you could have just... You wouldn't have risked... "

Noticing that her right hand had begun to shake, she tucked it under her left arm. Then she closed her eyes and breathed out through her mouth in a series of ragged little gasps.

"I-I'm sorry... You two are so matter of fact about what just happened here. But for me... See, I've never... " She fell silent for a moment, then protested plaintively, "Things like this just do not happen in Stars Hollow!"

Kim put a arm around the young woman. "Well, they _shouldn't_ anyway. And Ron and I are going to make sure this town gets back to normal very soon."

He had pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket but Rory's nervous reaction seemed to be confined to trembling rather than tears, so he tucked it back out of sight and turned away.

_What do I know about comforting distraught females anyway? Kim, Yori, Shego for that matter, they're all more likely to make a guy shake with fear than get that way themselves. _

Kim and Rory were speaking together in low tones, most of which was indecipherable, but he did catch the word 'bakery' and that reminded him of how good Luke's cheesecake had tasted.

He was idly wondering if there would be time tonight to go back to the Diner when he noticed Rory was gone and Kim was looking out the stable door.

"She had to get back inside since she's on front desk duty," he was told. "And she's in. Safely." Turning back to him she added, "Follow me, Ron. I want to show you something."

They walked outside and Kim pointed a flashlight beam down onto the ground.

"This about the spot where the thing knocked you down?"

Noticing the pile of discarted rope lying close by, he said, "Yeah."

She moved the light over a few feet. "And did you by any chance happen to write this?"

He looked down to see the letters A-M-Y had been scratched into the dirt. "No, that was the kitty cat's work. I just didn't realize at the time what it was doing."

It was Kim who finally broke the silence that followed. "Here. Take this." She handed him the flashlight and pulled her pack off so she could remove the first aid kit from it. "Give me some light here, please," she requested as she bent down and started sorting through the numerous medicine containers it held. Straightening up again she handed him two bottles. "Take three of these now, and two of these. Got it?"

"Yes. And you're telling me this because you're going off without me, aren't you?"

"That's the way it's got to be, Ron. That thing has to be caught and I don't think you'll be able to keep up on what could be a long chase with your chest the way it is right now."

"It wants you to follow it, KP! It's gonna lead you into a trap."

"The following part is a given. But into a trap? I'm not so sure anymore."

"I should be there with you, whatever comes up!"

"Sorry, very sorry, but not this time."

He began to breathe faster and the pain this brought on caused him to shout angrily, "You're not one hundred percent either right now!"

"I'm much closer to it than you are," she told him in an even tone. "But that's not the only reason why we have to split up for awhile. Think about it, Ron. Two different times now this weekend the bad guys have been waiting for us when we returned to the Inn. Our secret base of operations really isn't all that secret anymore. And that means we need to get some backup security out here, quickly."

"What kind of security?"

"I'm not sure. Work it out with the Gilmores and GJ." His face must have showed some of the doubt he felt because she put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you can handle this, Ron. You'll make sure everybody here stays safe and... "

She stepped closer to him and her hand moved to the back of his neck for a moment. "And when I say everybody, that means you too."

"Right," he said, pitching his voice as low as her own.

"One more request, too, before I go?"

"Uh huh?"

"See if you can keep us from being tossed out of here."

"Out of the Inn? Why would they do that? It's not like we invited the gunmen or the monster to come see us here."

"True enough, but still, from an outsider's point of view, it's going to probably look like we're the cause of the trouble that's come to Stars Hollow and not the response."

"But then we won't... " He twisted around to look at the Inn but the window to their room wasn't visible from the front. Turning back to Kim he saw she was watching him intently.

"We won't what, Ron? What's the problem with having to relocate?"

"I-I just don't want to."

"Okay. Can you tell me why?"

"Because... "

_Explain it to her! Tell her she is the best, most important thing in my life, and all the time we've spent together this weekend has been like every birthday and Hanukkah present I've ever gotten all put together. And tell her that you're greedy enough to want just one more night together up in that room where no else in the world matters. _

"Because?" prompted Kim.

"I... " He looked around, somehow both searching for and yet fearing an interruption. "I like it... when... we're together."

She nodded slightly. "All right. Not sure why you had to whisper that, but still good to hear." She paused long enough to make a quick survey of her own. "Yeah, that is good because... I like that, too."

"Cool."

"Iceberg cool," said Kim, and there was just enough light for her smile to be visible, although it faded very quickly. "It's cool because it means we're on the same page here. We want the same thing, so there's no conflicts on the horizon."

"I guess not." _Feel free to come to a point at any time, KP. _

"I mean because sometimes you put two people together and they might not see things the same way."

"Uh, that's true."

"See, another couple, er, another couple of people, could have different expectations about things and that can mean trouble."

"I guess so." _She's trying to tell me something, and I can see that it's important to her, to us, but I just don't get it. _

"Looks like I'm not doing a very good job of explaining things to you, and I think I'm even starting to confuse myself. But it's really pretty simple when you strip it down to the basics." She paused for a deep breath, then began speaking more quickly than before. "People call us total opposites and I suppose on the surface we are. But deep down, in the things that really matter, you know, religion and politics, gender roles, and mission work, of course, and... and... what comes after our school days, we see eye to eye on all that. Always have, always will."

"Ahh, are you talking about the future? Our future?"

An expression of relief came over her. "Well, yeah, I guess I am." Then her eyes went very wide. "No! Not the future! I mean I was but it was accidental."

She made an exasperated noise and pressed her fists tightly against her hips.

_And now she's mad. But I don't know why and I don't know at who. _

Ron asked, "Did I say something or do something bad?"

Kim shook her head solemnly.

"Well, _can_ I say something or do something to help?"

After a moment's deliberation she said, "Yes. Go get a big piece of duct tape and slap it down right here under my nose."

"So you won't talk about the future any more? About whether we have a future?"

Kim saw him start to rub his chest anxiously and she grimaced for a moment as if in pain herself. "Okay, Pessimism Boy, chill out. I am sorry if my blathering has caused you to worry, because there's no reason to do that. Do-do you know what the one thing is about my future that I'm most certain of?"

"No."

"That you're in it."

Suddenly there was a wide grin on his face. "Boo-yah!"

"Uber-boo-yah, even."

"I would go so far as to say sideways eight thingy boo-yah."

Kim smiled again. "I know when I've been topped." She touched her bare left wrist for a moment without looking away from him. "I also know that the sooner I get started here, the quicker I'll be back."

"Right. I'll, umm, watch over things here until you are."

"Okay, then, I'm off."

But she wasn't, not right away. They stood facing each other from a distance of about four feet, neither speaking. Perhaps a less experienced observer might have said there was no expression on her face now, but he knew better.

_I'm suddenly all achy inside in a way that has nothing to do with my banged up ribs and it's so obvious that Kim's not liking this separation idea either. _

_Is she thinking the same thing I am? That maybe we'll never see each other again? It's always a possibility no matter how much we gloss over the idea. So how can I let her go off without telling her what she means to me?_

_By putting her first, that's how. Don't run the risk of weirding her out right before she goes off on a job that's probably gonna be as dangerous as anything she's ever faced before. Just keep reminding yourself that there's a huge, huge difference between her wanting you in her life, and her wanting_ you_. _

As soon as his eyes met hers again she told him in a quiet voice, "I'm having a strange flashback right now. No idea where it's coming from."

"What is it?"

"When you left for camp."

"Yeah, I don't think Whateley's magic key will be showing me that one any time soon."

"Right. Of course a ten year old Ron Stoppable wasn't about to give out any hugs, even to his best friend, so right before you got into your parent's car, you gave me this funny kind of slow motion wave." She shook her head slowly. "Never, never going to forget that."

"Me neither."

"Seven years later I think you're a little less resistant to hugging but, you know, with your chest the way it is right now... "

"Ah, well, it's not-"

They turned in unison toward the sound of the front door of the Inn opening. Kim slipped on her night glasses long enough to determine the identity of the person walking their way.

"Yeah, it's Rory. Ron, I'm going. Be back as quickly as I can."

"Quick is good. But safe is better."

He held his breath as her face moved closer and closer toward him, then let out a little squeal as she suddenly hummed into his left ear. Her hoodie was dropped over his head and by the time he had pulled it away, Kim was gone. Hastily he pulled on his own night glasses but there was no trace of her anywhere.

_Why can't I shake this feeling that it's gonna be a long, long time before I see her again?_

* * *

(More author notes:

With this chapter my story passes the one hundred thousand word mark, a minor milestone made possible (ha ha) by the following list of people who have been so incredibly generous in their time and their praise, direct or otherwise, for my work: CajunBear73, DrBeat, Louis Mielke, keth1, ScareGlow, screaming phoenix, jlgreen, melissaeverlasting, Comet Moon, rebafan4ever, motorized-sasquatch, spectre666, Yankee Bard, daywalker82, MrDrP, Joe Stoppinghem, Pojko, eckles, nutshak, Stubbs101, wopr, RobinofYJ, ShadowBlade989, Mr. Wizard, tom bourassa, David R. Genrich, HecatonchirestLM, The defenastrator, TymofeY, Aotsfan, Wushu, Gwendolin Sparrow, Vaapad, BeeKay84, Dark Lady of the Sith, noncynic, and dataweaver. My gratitude also goes out to the people who have not reviewed but did put my story or myself on alert status. I'd love to hear from you directly but still greatly appreciate the gesture. And sorry to one and all for the long chapters. I'm trying to get better!

I've been pretty consistant about getting new chapters out each Friday, but real life obligations mean that I won't have access to the Internet for awhile and so my next update will be delayed for a few weeks. Hope you will find the conclusion to "Undercover" was worth the wait.

Rory Gilmore was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino for the Gilmore girls TV program.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

These characters are used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	15. Revelations

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**15. Revelations**

Sunday Evening:

"Congratulations."

Ron Stoppable turned away from his fruitless search for his best friend and faced toward Rory Gilmore. "Congratulations for what?"

"Well, it's not every guy who can pull off the sunglasses at night look."

He removed his night vision goggles and handed them to her. She hesitated for a moment, then slipped them on.

"Oh my god! This is... " She put her hand up before her eyes. "It's like it's daylight again!"

"Yeah I know, they're fun, but we probably shouldn't be playing around out here. Not right now."

The glasses were instantly handed back to him. He used them to look around slowly and thoroughly but saw nothing threatening.

"So far so good," he told her.

She nodded thoughtfully. "Okay but listen, Ron. My mother is going to be back any minute now. You have got to tell me what is really going on around here."

"You know a lot of it already. Sookie's cousin escaped from prison and Kim and I were sent here to take her back."

"Sent by who?"

"Global Justice. But don't feel bad if you've never heard of them. They keep a pretty low-"

"Is Betty Director still the head of that agency?"

"Uh, yeah, she is. I'm surprised you know about her, though."

"I did a poli-sci paper on Global Justice awhile back. Because I've actually met her. She was here once in Stars Hollow, probably about five years ago now. She stayed at the Inn where Mom worked before she got the Dragonfly." She drew in her breath sharply. "Now I understand why Kim wanted to catch up with Taylor Doose so badly! He's related to her, to Betty, by marriage."

"Rory, you can't mention Global Justice to anybody in town."

"I didn't then and I won't now. Except my mother, of course."

"Your mother?"

"Yes."

"You tell her stuff?"

"Yes. Are you going to ask me not to?"

"Well, yeah." Catching sight of her suddenly narrowed eyes, he said, "I mean no! No way."

_I shouldn't have to ask you to keep secrets from her or any other parent, Rory. You're years older than me and were supposed to have figured that out on your own a long time ago._

Aloud he said, "It's not that she doesn't have a right to know what's going on. But I just thought you might not want to pile anything else on her for now. I mean with Sookie gone, and being shorthanded here at the Inn. And then there's the whole Luke deal... "

"I can't believe Luke would say anything about his breakup with Mom. To you or anybody else."

"He didn't. It was somebody else in town."

"Babette?"

Ron shook his head. "Don't know who that is. But we met a guy named Kirk Gleason last night and he-"

"I'll just bet he did," snapped Rory, before falling into a frowning silence.

Ron counted to ten in his head and then said, "Me and Kim were up at four this morning and, um, so was your mother. Do you happen to know if she's had a chance to get any sleep since then?"

"I doubt it. This has been the weekend from Hell. First Tobin, our regular night manager goes off on a family leave, then Sookie's gone, and now Michel is sick. Or at least sick and tired of having to work so hard. Mom doesn't need to deal with all this on top of the breakup but here it is."

"Is there still a chef problem?"

"No, the replacement seems like he's going to work out. But thanks for asking." She gave him a long appraising look. "How long have you been doing this sort of thing, Ron?"

"Years now."

"Can you please give me an honest answer about something?"

"Sure."

"The guests in the Inn, are they in danger?"

_Man, do I wish Kim was here to field this one! _"There is a... slight possibility that the bad guys might come back here."

"Oh my god!"

"But we can call in people to provide security. You know, as a precaution."

"Would they be in uniform?"

"Nope. Undercover and out of sight is the way to go."

Rory considered this for perhaps five seconds before stating firmly, "Start making some calls."

He nodded and began to walk away. Putting the night glasses back on left his hands free to take the GJ phone from his pocket.

"Ron! What's the deal? How'd you find things at the Inn?"

He told Agent Harvey about their encounter with the hooded monster, leaving out nothing except whose fault its escape had been.

"So unless you two are looking forward to a third ambush this weekend, we need to tighten up the on site security there."

"Right. But Mel, the management want it to be inconspicuous."

"Of course." A few more seconds passed and then she said, "Okay, guy. Wave your right arm for me." He did so a half dozen times and she announced, "All right. Satellite surveillance is now in place. Nice sweater, by the way."

"Uh, thanks," he replied, repressing an urge to look skyward.

"You're welcome. Now, let's see. We need to arrange a forward command post. Somewhere close by to house the backup personnel. You know, there's an old historic sawmill about a half mile away from the Inn that would be perfect for that."

"Great. Hey, Melissa, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"The cell phones we got from GJ, are they trackable?"

"Oh yeah."

"Well, could you please keep a close eye on Kim's?"

"You got it, guy."

"Thank you."

"Sure. Uh oh, car pulling into the parking lot. Zooming in on the plates... Wait, don't need to. It's the jeep the Inn owner drives."

"All right, Mel. Gotta go. Call me when there's news."

He and Lorelai Gilmore reached the front door at the same time.

"There he is, the man of the hour, the weekend. Will renaming the Inn after you be a sufficient reward for your heroic services or should it be the whole town?"

He gestured for her to step through first. "It was all Kim's doing, Lorelai, and none of mine."

"What's wrong with your voice?"

"Ah... " With an effort, he stopped himself from massaging his chest. "Allergies starting to act up a little."

"Eww. Do you get it bad?"

"Not too often. And this time around it's pretty minor."

"Good. So, Kim was the stallion tamer tonight?"

"Yep. I told you yesterday she can do anything she sets her mind to."

"I remember. Well, in that case, I should probably cancel the plan to award _you_ with my first born."

"You do that, Mother," said Rory from the front desk. "Because not even the chance to hook up with a real live super-hero is going to get me to risk the displeasure of that young lady."

"And where is Ms. Pendarvis at the moment? Off at a cape fitting?"

Ron looked at Rory and she quickly turned toward the computer screen beside her.

In a more serious tone Lorelai asked, "She wasn't hurt by one of the horses, was she?"

"Oh no, nothing like that," said Ron. "Kim just wanted to get to bed early tonight."

Lorelai raised an eyebrow at him but before she could say anything, Rory quickly interjected, "Bed being a place where people sleep, mother. You remember sleep, don't you? It was an almost daily ritual for you back in the day."

Lorelai flicked a hand through the air and made a noise that sounded like "Pshaw."

"Giving up on English?" asked her daughter.

"I say again, pshaw on you and your provincial attitudes about sleep. George and Bernard are with me on this, too."

"Just a brief nap, Mom, that's all I'm suggesting."

With a flash of almost anger Lorelai asked, "And who will cover the front desk while I'm gone, Rory? Or were you thinking we'd get Kim and Ron to do that, as well?"

"I was not. And there really isn't a whole lot to handle at the moment. All of today's check-ins are here already."

"How many finals do you have coming up?"

"That's the point, Mom. I have to stay up now anyway, and this is as good a place to study as home." Seeing the first signs of a weakening resolve on her mother's face, she added, "Room 6 is vacant right now... "

"And we're in Room 4, Mrs. G. It'd be great to have you as a neighbor."

Lorelai's blue eyes traveled slowly from Ron to Rory and stayed there for a long moment. She exhaled resignedly and said, "Three hours, kid, and only three hours."

"You have my word on it," Rory told her, a forefinger slashing twice through the air in front of her chest.

"I see. And is that a 'Mommy I'll never smoke' sort of promise, or more like 'I know I said I'd stop buying so many books but there's this new edition of Proust where they've restored all the bowdlerized semi-colons and I have to have it or life just won't be worth living' sort of vow?"

Rory considered the question briefly, then shook her head dismissively. "Okay, you do know the three hours has not and will not start until you actually stop talking."

Lorelai turned toward Ron. "Are you hearing this? I just hope that when Little Ron and Little Kim have arrived at the Pendarvis household, they treat you two with more respect and consideration than my own flesh and blood-"

"Let's go, mother," said Rory, placing her hands against Lorelai's back and pushing her toward the stairs.

As they moved past him, the older Gilmore said in a stage whisper, "Ron, Ron, I'm going to hold out as long as I can. Search the Inn, Ron. Find those pods!"

He turned away so Rory couldn't say his smile was encouraging Lorelai's behavior. But when the teen was alone in the lobby he put a palm on his sternum and took a few slow shallow breaths.

_Where are you, Kim? What are you doing? I sure hope you're right that I'd know if you were... not... not doing too good now._

He silently cursed himself, not for the first time that evening, and then reached into his pants pocket for the two medicine bottles Kim had given him.

"Let's see now. She said take two of these and three of these. Or was it three of these?"

"I don't know, Ron. But I have a Yale friend who's Pre-Med I could call and ask."

_Man, she got back here fast._ "Oh, hey, Rory. No, I'm pretty sure it was more of these." _Now if I just had something to take them with. Why didn't I save any of the cheesecake? _

"Okay. Oh! Ron, I'm sorry! Kim told me you had medicine that had to be taken with food and I completely forgot. Come on. Follow me."

She led him to Lorelai's office and pointed to the couch opposite from the desk.

"Sit down. Or lay down if you'd rather. Do you want to see a menu?"

"Thanks, Rory, but whatever's quick and easy will be fine."

After she stepped away, he gave the couch a moment's consideration but decided that stretching out on it would be like a betrayal of Kim when she was off battling bad guys all alone. _Thanks to my latest, greatest screw-up!_ He wandered around the office examining the various certificates and photographs on display but his gaze kept returning to a certain spot near the doorway.

_It was right there a little over twenty-four hours ago that Kim put her arms around me and kissed me. On the lips. Right where other people could see her do it! She wasn't even wearing a Moodulator, either!_

_And it meant nothing, _he reminded himself. _It was role-playing for the mission, she told you that the same night it happened, just so you wouldn't get the wrong idea about it. _

_But what about all the praise and compliments from her this weekend? Or all the touching we've been doing, the handholding and the putting arms around each other? That wasn't all a pose. We were alone some of those times. That has to mean something, right?_

_Yeah, it means something. It could mean lots of somethings, actually. Like maybe in her own gentle way she's trying to remind me that the friendship deal is pretty awesome on its own, something most people don't have and never will. She's probably trying to warn me not to get greedy and to reach out for something that isn't there because then we run the risk of messing up the status quo. _

He ran a finger thoughtfully over his false beard. _So when she said we see the future the same way, that wasn't a statement of fact, it was wishful thinking. _

_Okay, so the strangeness of this weekend is starting to make a little more sense now. Or it would if I could just explain away one more mystery. Something that I've wondered about for years now._

_If KP doesn't want us to date, and there's plenty of reasons to think that she doesn't, then why always get tweaked when a girl pays any attention to me? Getting favorable notice from females doesn't happen very often but when it does, Kim always takes it badly. Even Monique got a dose of the green eyed (ha ha) glare when KP came back from her cousin Donnie's graduation in Sacramento and found out we had gone to see a wrestling match together. _

_So why get mad about something that you should be encouraging? If you think somebody is gonna crush on you and you don't want that to happen, then you grab onto a distraction. _

_'Okay Ron, it's very flattering and only slightly nauseating that you _like _like me when I never thought of you as anything but a friend, but don't you think you'd be much happier with Tara or some other girl who might actually be interested in having you as a boyfriend?'_

He sighed heavily, then winced in pain and gingerly patted his chest.

_All right, so I'm no math wizard, but even to me this whole deal just doesn't add up. _

Rory knocked softly on the wooden frame of the open office door and said "Room Service" in a sing song voice.

Ron took the metal tray from her. "Thanks. Where should I put this?"

"Right on the desk."

"It's okay to eat in here?"

"Of course. This is Lorelai Gilmore's office. Do you have any idea how much junky food has been consumed in here over the last two years?"

He set the tray down and seated himself behind the desk. "Let's take a look." The lid was pulled away and Ron saw fried cheese sticks, crackers, a bottled water, and a vanilla milkshake.

"I know," said Rory. "Not very imaginative to just duplicate your earlier order. And why have you guys only ordered Room Service once since Friday night? I told you, and Mom did too, everything you wanted was free for your stay this weekend."

"It's been a crazy couple of days," he told her just before shoving three cheese sticks into his mouth and reaching for one of the medicine containers.

"If you want me to go, it's okay. I know some people are self-conscious about being watched while they eat."

"Endrigrulanthimphebum."

"Ah, excuse me?"

Ron swallowed noisily. "I said I don't do self-conscious. Most days just staying conscious is hard enough for me."

He set the first pill bottle down and picked up the other. As he shook out more pills, Rory sat down on the edge of the desk. He recapped the container and started to put it down but she extended her hand to him and without thinking, he placed it in her palm.

_Snap! Why did I do that? I'm not so sure KP wanted to make a full disclosure here, even with the Gilmores. _

Rory gave the bottle a shake. "Getting low. Going to need a refill?"

"Nah. We're leaving tomorrow." A troubled look appeared on her features so he added, "Because the mission is gonna be over. Sookie's cousin will be back behind bars and so will a whole pack of new henchmen."

She smiled, then tilted her head to one side. "You know, I don't think I've ever had a conversation before where the word 'henchmen' was used."

Ron washed down another mouthful of fried cheese with a large gulp of his milkshake. "They've been a regular part of my life for years now."

"Ron, if it wasn't for what I saw in the stable, I'm afraid I'd be labeling you as either delusional or a compulsive liar."

"That's okay. There's still time left this weekend."

Rory smiled again, and then seemed surprised to see she was still holding the pill bottle. Bringing it closer to her eyes, she started to read the label. " 'Dr. Anne Possible.' That's an unusual name. But a nice one for a doctor. It's reassuring, somehow. And vaguely familiar... "

"Yeah, right, so Rory, you never asked me about the security arrangements for the Inn."

"No, I didn't. I wasn't sure about how much you could tell me."

_Put down the bottle, put down the bottle. _"Umm, GJ's surveillance equipment is uber-intense. Nothing is gonna get into or out of the Inn without being spotted and catalogued."

"And if they see somebody or something trying?"

"Then the intruders will get put down."

An expression of distress came over the young woman's face. "Killed?"

Ron paused with the last two cheese sticks a few inches from his mouth. "Rory, if you did a paper on Global Justice, then you know they're all about the non lethalosity."

"Uh, 'lethalosity' ?"

"Yeah, it means using the minimum amount of force necessary to take out a villain. I'm surprised you never heard that word before, with you being in a fancy college and all."

She gave him a look he couldn't read and said, "I guess you can tell I'm only a junior."

"Ahh, seems like just Friday I was a junior."

"Where _did_ you go to school, Ron?"

"Umm, Rory?"

"Yes?"

"Can I make a deal with you?"

"That depends. What about?"

"I don't want to lie to you or your mother anymore."

"Okay."

"But there are going to be questions I just can't answer about Kim and me. Especially if she's not here to have a say in what gets revealed."

"Sure."

"So you're cool with that?"

Rory gave him another quick smile. "I am." She stared down at the pill bottle and then handed it over to him.

Ron took it back with a pretence of nonchalance. "When are you going to wake up Lorelai?"

"Unless the Inn catches fire, I'm not."

He grinned. "And when do you tell her the truth about Kim and me?"

"At the appropriate time."

"Today or tomorrow?"

"Maybe not that soon."

"There might be hope for you after all, Gilmore."

One corner of her mouth twisted slightly. "Listen, Mr. Last Name I Don't Know, just because I'm close to my mother doesn't mean I'm incapable of making decisions that she wouldn't approve of."

"Yeah, sure."

"Did Mom tell you I work for the Yale Daily News? I'm the editor, actually."

"Cool. What's that pay?"

"Uh, exactly the same as I make here."

"Ouch. Sorry. But I'm sure you'll figure a way to get out of it."

"My point is that I've taken risks in pursuit of stories before. Some pretty crazy chances, actually. So don't judge me by how I acted back at the stable."

"Why not? I thought you were fine."

Her brows drew together as she studied his face. "I was no help at all to you or Kim."

"Rory, you weren't supposed to help us. We were sent here to protect you and all the other people in town."

"I expected more from myself. I've always believed that if I was to ever find myself in actual physical danger, not that I ever thought that was very likely, but if it happened I felt I'd be calm and competent." She hesitated, then added quietly, "Now I know the truth."

Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, I get what's going on here."

"Which is?"

"You've seen Kim in action. And anybody who's ever done that is gonna end up feeling, well, kinda pathetic."

Her expression seemed to veer between amusement and irritation. "Ron, I like Kim, or at least I like the person I think is beneath the cover story, but I do _not_ envy-"

"Of course you do. You're only human. Nobody can watch her whack and stack a baddie without getting a little bit jealous."

She gave him a tight smile. "Interesting diagnosis, Ron."

"Yeah. But listen, Rory, no good can come of you comparing yourself to Kim. She's... She's just not on the same level as the rest of us."

"How do you mean that?"

_Watch what you say here, Stoppable. KP is not gonna be happy if you go into too much detail on her physical... advantages. _"All I'm saying is that Kim is gonna be the best at anything she sets out to do. Better than you, better than me, better than anybody that either one of us knows."

"So... you're saying she's good at stuff?"

"Yes, Rory, that's exactly what-" He broke into a grin and said in a calmer, softer tone, "I guess that kind of braggyness deserves a little teasing. But don't doubt what I'm saying. There's no need to make stuff up when it comes to Kim. The facts are unbelievable enough."

"Yeah? Let me hear one of them."

"Okay, let's see. A lot of it is tied in with National Security but there's still plenty of other spillable info... Ah, got it. The first time Kim made the news."

"And how'd she do that?"

Ron smiled. "What happened on your twelfth birthday, Rory?"

She stared at him for a moment, apparently thrown off by his question. "Well, my mother took me into New York City. We went ice skating in Central Park and then I got a special tour of the Rare Book Collection at the Main Library."

"Okay, that's cool. Big fun, I'm sure. As it turns out, Kim and her mom also went out together on the day that KP turned twelve. Kim wanted to get her own savings account because now she was old enough to start babysitting. But they chose a bank that was in the middle of being robbed."

"Did-did anyone get hurt?"

"No, not unless you count a few missing teeth."

"And somehow I get the idea that it wasn't Kim or her mother who lost those teeth."

"Nope."

Rory put her hand up to her forehead for a moment. "So what you're telling me is that a twelve year old girl took down a gang of bank robbers. By herself."

"Well, it wasn't a gang, just one guy with a gun. And she didn't do it completely alone. I helped, you know, a little."

"But I still don't understand how she could do it."

"Kung Fu. Her parents had been signing her up for martial arts classes almost from the time she could walk. Swimming and gymnastics, too. Anything to burn off excess energy, which she had a lot of. You would never know it now, but little Kimmie was a real handful. A poster child for hyperactivity. We're talking a footprints on the ceiling kind of kid."

Rory was thoughtfully silent for several seconds. "So, having a couple of decades of martial arts training under her belt-"

"Her black belt, you mean. She's got a drawer full of those."

"With the final result being that she isn't afraid of anybody or anything?"

"Pretty much. She did have a touch of nerves on our first mission, but that disappeared as soon as she put the first terrorist down for a nap. And since then, I've never seen her intimidated by anything we've gone up against. Well, okay, there were these giant cockroaches once that got her a little rattled." Rory took on a expression of gentle skeptism at this. "But still, she's got to be as close to fearless as is humanly possible." Ron forced himself to smile again. "Or she would be if it weren't for all the trouble she has, uh, _had_, asking guys out."

Rory got a puzzled look on her face. "I-is that a joke?"

"No. Back, way back in high school, whenever she'd crush on a guy, Kim would get all flustered and lots of words came out of her but they weren't put together in a way that made any sense. She really would turn into the Queen of Babble-on."

He was vaguely aware of Rory saying, "I've worn that crown a few times," but found himself thinking back to when he had done her make up earlier this evening.

_That was some classic gibberish KP was spouting then but I don't see how it could be crush related. For like fifty plus hours now, except for a little bit of Saturday, we've been together almost constantly. So how can KP be falling for somebody when the only guy that she's really spent any time with this weekend is me? _

_Me._

_Me?_

Rory managed to grab onto the nearest arm of his chair just before he could topple over backwards. Ron jumped to his feet and banged his knee against a drawer handle but ignored the pain that caused.

_Man, that thing with the claws must have stomped me harder than I thought, because now my brain is running about as well as my motor scooter back home._

"Are you all right, Ron?"

"No. Yes. I don't know."

_Could that actually be the reason for all the changes in Kim this weekend? I mean sure, that would explain, well everything, but still, I just... It couldn't... There's no way..._

_So take me out of the picture for a second. If I saw Kim telling another boy the things she's said to me, and touching him the way she's been touching me, what would I think? _

_I wouldn't have to debate it at all. I'd be sure, absolutely positive, that KP was sweet on a new guy._

Mind reeling, thoughts bouncing in tennis ball fashion between denying and accepting the idea that Kim was beginning to see him as more than just a friend, he became entirely focused within himself.

So it was a surprise to realize that Rory Gilmore was staring intently at him from a few feet away. He saw a phone in her hand and muttered, "Oh, sorry, I'll get out of here."

She put the instrument down with a clatter. "I wasn't going to just start chatting with anybody. I was about to call a hospital."

"Why? Is Kim back? Is she hurt?"

With a groan he started to stand up but she placed restraining hands on his shoulders.

"Stay down, Ron. I think you're having a bad reaction to the medicine you took."

"No, it's just... Well, maybe you're right. But it's going away now. I'm fine."

"You didn't look so fine a minute ago. You had the 'Thousand-Yard Stare' and were shambling around here like you had answered the casting call for a George Romero movie."

"Just for a second," he assured her. When the concern remained on her face he added, "You know, like when you walk out of chem class and there's that pause until your brain can come out of hibernation mode." He glanced over to the wall clock on his right and noted that his dazed state could not have lasted more than a minute or two at most. "Nobody called, huh?"

"No."

Ron stood up. "Can we trade places, please?"

After a confused Rory had seated herself in the chair, he leaned against the edge of her mother's desk and rested a hand on his chest. "So, Rory... "

"Yes, Ron."

"I have a big, big favor to ask and while you would have every right to say no, I'm hoping that you won't, because... "

"Because why?"

"Because it's pretty close to being a life or death deal for me."

* * *

(More author notes:

If you got the reference to Kim's cousin Donnie, let me know. If you didn't and want it explained, also write in. If you view this as a pathetic ploy to garner more reviews, click on the 'Go' button on the bottom of your screen and type out a strongly worded protest.

Rory Gilmore and Lorelai Gilmore were created by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Ron Stoppable was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

These characters are used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	16. Recruited

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**16. Recruited**

Sunday Evening:

_And here we go again,_ thought Kim Possible as she dodged backwards to avoid the creature's raking claws. _Just when I think I'm starting to make some kind of progress, it goes back to being all wild and primeval on me. _

It had taken less than fifteen minutes for her to track the thing down. Wade's night vision glasses had certainly helped with that pursuit but since her attacker had only traveled a few hundred yards from the Inn, she had to assume that it did not really want to escape.

_But it doesn't seem to want to talk either. Okay, so maybe 'talk' isn't the best verb choice. I know it understands human speech, but I haven't seen any indication it can produce it. Still, it is literate. It scratched Amy's name in the dirt back at the stable. _

_Hmm. _

Kim took a half dozen steps backward. She waited for a moment, but, just like before, once she was out of the thing's 'discomfort zone' there was no attempt to attack her. She got down on one knee, picked up a nearby stick, and traced out the letters K-I-M in the dirt. Then she stood up and walked to another part of the clearing.

The shrouded figure stepped silently to the spot she had vacated. The hooded head bent down for a moment, then back in Kim's direction.

The teen put a hand on her chest. "Kim. My name is Kim."

No response.

_So what do I do now? Keep writing in the dirt? Keep asking questions that get no answers? _

She made another quick survey of her surroundings but they were still alone.

_Well, even if you don't intend to lure me into a trap, that doesn't mean that friends of yours couldn't be approaching the Inn right now. But the question is, why would they want to do that? Any bad guys would have figured out by now that Amy isn't there, or Sookie either. And if you wanted to take _us_ out of the picture permanently, well, Ron at least, you had a perfect opportunity to do that back at the stable but didn't._

"You want something from me. What is it?"

Silence.

"You've been following us, or at least going to places where you thought we might be. Why?" After another futile pause, she added, "You were watching us at the Whateley House, weren't you?"

Suddenly a change came over her opponent. The head that had been moving slowly, warily to the left and right, froze in place, then turned quickly back to Kim.

"Whateley? Does that name mean something to you?" There was no reply but the creature now seemed to be considering her with heightened interest. "Obviously it does, but what exactly is he to you?"

Squatting down on its haunches, it moved a glittering talon quickly along the ground. Standing up again, it stepped backwards so the teen could move close enough to read the letters W-H-E-R-E.

"Meaning where is Whateley right now?" Kim smiled. "Well, how about that? We do have something in common after all. You want to know where Whateley is and I want Amy. Maybe we can arrange a trade of information."

The hooded head shook emphatically and it pointed again at the word it had scratched into the earth.

"Sorry, I'm not in a giving mood right now. You want something from me, you need to earn it."

It knelt down and rubbed out the first set of letters, then traced a longer string.

Kim read L-O-C-K-E-D-U-P-? in the dirt.

The teen hesitated, torn between the desire to bargain for the information she needed and the hope to gain its trust.

Finally she gave a slight head nod. "Yes, he is. You won't see him again anytime soon." _Hope I didn't just make a huge mistake. _"So, what can you tell me about Amy Hall?"

Kim tried to keep her pose casual, even as she braced herself for another attack. _If you're serving Whateley, now's the time for revenge. _

But it stood its ground impassively.

"Yep, I finished off Whateley and that demon horde of his, too." Still getting no response, Kim added, "You have a problem with that?"

After a moment's pause, it shook its head again.

"And, before this weekend is over, I'm going to put Amy back in prison. Is _that_ a problem?"

Kim got another seemingly reluctant head shake.

"Okay, so tell me where she is." This time the head did not move. "Will you _ever_ tell me?"

The hood moved up and down once.

"But only under certain conditions?"

After another nod, Kim asked, "What is it you want? Money?"

The unseen head shook again.

"Immunity from prosecution?"

Another shake.

"Raw meat? Come on, just write it down!"

The creature looked to the ground for a moment, then raised a clawed hand to the area where its throat would be. A second or two later Kim heard, "There is... a problem."

The voice was low, with a wet gurgling quality that she doubted any human being could produce, but still perfectly understandable.

"I, uh... " _Wow._ "So, you say there's a problem?"

She got another nod.

"Well, can you tell me what that would be exactly?"

The taloned fingers seemed to be massaging its neck. "Amy has other... enemies."

_I'm getting the idea that it really hurts you to talk, and I'm sorry about that, but I need to know what's going on. _"Who are these enemies, exactly?"

A hand made a vague slashing gesture.

"Well, I guess we'll get back to that. So, ah, are you one of those enemies?"

After the longest pause so far, it shook its head again.

"Do you work for Amy?"

A nod.

"But you're willing to have her locked up again?"

"Safer," was the strained reply.

"Well, actually it is. But can you explain why exactly you're concerned with her welfare?"

That got no response, verbal or otherwise.

"Last night we took care of a group of people who had been searching for Amy. They're in jail now and will be for a long time to come. Are you sure that others are still out there?"

The question earned a quick double nod.

"These other enemies, are they like you?"

The next nod was more hesitant.

Kim scanned the vicinity again, then asked, "If you needed my help, why not just approach me directly, instead of all the skulking around?"

"Don't like crowds."

"Well, okay, but... "

_Well what, Kim? This... being may have something near human intelligence, but its instincts are less developed. It probably took a lot of courage to come even as close as it did to the Inn. Maybe it was watching from the shadows, waiting for a chance to approach us, when something spooked it and it ducked into the stable. _

_Speaking of which, how long was it alone with Rory Gilmore before we got there? Certainly long enough to do her some serious harm if it wanted to. Okay so don't let your guard down completely, but be open to the possibility that it might just be telling something like the truth here. _

"All right, then. We've met and we seem to have the same goals this weekend. What happens next?"

"Phone."

"We phone someone?"

"Amy... calls us."

"So you have a phone?"_ I suppose you could have a phone somewhere under that poncho. A half a dozen guns, too._

But she got another head shake. "Pay phone... Not far."

Kim gestured for the other to take the lead and they set off at a rapid pace.

After a walk of about three quarters of a mile, they came to a road, and when they had traveled along that for another two or three hundred yards, Kim noticed there was a motorcycle parked behind a thicket of shrubbery.

_No way! I am not going to squeeze up next to that thing for even a short ride. I'll rather walk or-_

_Hey, what's up?_

Sniffing sounds were coming from her companion as the hooded head quickly surveyed their surroundings.

"Has somebody else been here?" asked Kim.

"Yes," was the reply, followed by a return of its low growl.

_This _would_ be a good place for an ambush,_ the teen decided. Deserted road, no sign of human habitation as far as the eye can see, and plenty of concealing foliage. _You could hide a small army in there. _

_Still, the brush is cleared back from the road far enough that nothing is going to come up on us without being seen. _

"Let's go," Kim said. "Start the bike so we can get to that pay phone and-"

Breath exploded out of her and she doubled over. Then whatever had struck her midsection now thumped against her right cheek and her left side.

More surprised than hurt, she scrambled over to a position several feet away and tried to take stock of her surroundings.

_It's just the two of us here, and we're too far apart for poncho thing to have hit me. So what exactly am I fighting against here?_

Kim felt something grab at her hair and instinct took over. She kicked off with her legs so that her shoulders collided with a body behind her. Her ears told her the attacker had been knocked to the ground but where she expected to see a prone figure, there was nothing.

Literally nothing. No one and no reason why the grass where her opponent would have, should have fallen was suddenly pressed flat to the earth. But it was.

And then it wasn't, the individual blades started to spring upright again. Even as realization came that she was dealing with an invisible opponent, something hit the back of her left leg.

Kim tumbled to the ground but as she fell she lashed out with her right foot and made contact with a tangible object. Springing upright again, she aimed a punch for the place her shoe had struck and this time the blow landed more solidly.

For a brief moment Kim could see the outline of a tall, impossibly thin man before her. He faded back into invisibility in a split second but now she knew where to direct her fist to strike the side of his bald head. The blow hit with force enough to knock him off his feet. She stared down at a new patch of compressed grass which was quickly obscured by the returning appearance of her attacker.

He lay there motionlessly with his eyes closed and his mouth open. Kim decided he had been rendered unconscious and that caused him to become visible once more.

She looked over in the direction of sudden snarling noises and saw her, well, ally was engaged in battle as well.

The other newcomer was easily six foot tall but so widely proportioned and thickly muscled as to appear short and squat.

Kim glanced around and saw there were no other attackers in sight. She moved quietly forward to a position where she could get a closer look at the figure receiving all the growls from her friend.

At the center of freakishly broad shoulders sat a very wide, almost squashed looking head with a large nose that made its dark eyes appear even smaller than they already were. There was only a narrow ribbon of pale flesh between bushy eyebrows and the tangled thatch of russet hair that ran down its back. Instead of hands, it had something like opposable hoofs on the ends of each burly arm.

No doubt being struck by one of those hoofs would be, at the least, extremely painful, but the shrouded figure seemed to easily dart away from each blow aimed at it.

Apparently aware that Kim had approached, there was a sudden switch to offensive tactics. Its claws slashed out once, twice, and on the third time there was a bellow when talons raked the larger figure's left forearm.

Pain must have added speed to its efforts because its right hoof managed to connect with the other's shoulder and Kim saw the thing in the camouflage poncho suddenly go cartwheeling through the air.

The hulking creature tried to follow up on its assault but Kim had taken a position just in front of where its victim had come to rest.

It halted, eyes narrowed almost to invisibility while its nostrils flared to the size of half dollars. The teen kept her gaze fixed on the creature before her, but her ears told her the one at her back was already regaining consciousness.

_I sure hope poncho dude remembers that we're on the same side._

Of course her current opponent was also aware of the reawakening. A shoe the size of a halved watermelon scraped along the ground while its chest expanded to the dimensions of an old fashion phone booth.

_Looks like he's trying to work up the courage to attack me. And I think that's going to happen sooner rather than later. _

It lunged forward and Kim threw herself to one side. But when her hands touched the ground she pushed off again and her feet slammed hard against the right side of its torso.

Springing upright, she pivoted in place and the tip of her shoe thudded against the spot below where a man's ribcage would be. Then she sprang upwards and landed with the soles of each shoe on its upper shoulders. The impact forced its face down hard against the earth.

It started to rise up almost immediately but Kim kicked at the back of one of its knees and this caused it to twist over onto its side. This allowed her a clear shot at its face and her right heel connected solidly with its chin.

The blow did not knock it out, but the efforts to stand up again became more feeble after that. The teen risked a look behind her and saw the other one was back on its feet, er, paws now. It moved purposely toward the fallen figure and Kim interposed herself between them once more. "Easy now. As long as he stays down, we won't worry-" She broke off as a new round of growling came from the enveloping hood. "Hey, we're still together on this," the teen added. "But we don't need to kick, uh, well... "

_Don't kick a man when he's down? Yeah, but it's debatable on just how human Mr. Football Head is, exactly. And I don't even want to think about what's underneath that poncho you're wearing. _

Kim had begun to count the reasons she should not get in the middle of a renewed battle between the two when she noted another figure had stepped out of the bushes several yards away.

"Okay, more company coming," she muttered, but may have been drowned out by a new round of growls as the first two figures lunged toward each other.

_I guess that leaves me to deal with Thing Number Three. _

Kim risked a brief look over one shoulder and saw that at least Invisible Boy was still down. Turning back to the newest arrival, she saw a young sandy haired male a little taller and perhaps a bit older than herself, wearing a dark green jersey and black denim pants. She didn't like that his hands were thrust into his front pockets as he walked in her direction, but otherwise there was nothing unusual or menacing in his appearance.

When he got to within ten feet of her, he stopped and in an entirely normal voice said, "Hello."

"Hello to you," Kim replied as she shifted her position slightly so that she could see the young man and the two combatants at the same time.

He glanced over his shoulder, then back at Kim. With a shake of his head, he said, "Siblings."

_Okay, that would make for one weird family._ "Ah, are they friends of yours?"

"Hardly."

She hesitated. "Relatives?"

A scowl came over him. "Do I look like I could be?"

"No, not really."

His smile returned but he said nothing.

Kim listened to the grunts and growls for a moment, then came to a sudden decision. She stepped a few feet closer to him and extended her right hand. "Well, since they're too busy to handle the introductions... My name's Kim." When his expression didn't change she added, "Kim Possible."

He nodded his head once and smiled again, but kept his own hands buried in his pockets.

"You're not much for shaking hands?"

He shrugged and smiled again.

"What about exchanging names?"

His face screwed up for a moment. "That's kind of a sore point with us. But I guess you can call me Roku for now."

"Okay. And who did you mean by 'us'?"

His response was to make a clicking sound with his mouth as he ran his eyes over her figure in a lascivious manner. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Old enough to have put Amy Hall in jail three times so far. And the fourth time's coming soon."

His smile became a toothy grin. "Ah, maybe not."

"You've got other plans for her?"

"Yeah, actually I do."

Kim was distracted by a loud thumping noise and saw that the larger of the two fighters had just been maneuvered into running head first against the trunk of a elm tree. He shook his massive skull from side to side groggily and started to get back on his feet.

Kim's gaze moved to the other combatant and up to where a face would be visible if not for the poncho's hood. The golden eyes must have noted her attention because it tapped the backs of its hands together and then pointed a long talon at Roku.

_Well, Poncho Guy has played fair by me so far. _Meeting the young man's gaze once more, Kim said, "I'm going to have to ask that you take your hands out of your pockets. Slowly."

"And if I don't? What happens then?"

"Nothing you'd enjoy."

"Does that mean you would get... physical with me? Because that seems more like an incentive than a threat."

_Yuck. _"Three.

"Two.

"One."

"Okay, Red. Lighten up. I can follow orders."

Different scenarios flashed through the teen's head. What to do if he pulled out a gun, a knife, a bomb. But she wasn't prepared to learn that not only was he not holding a weapon, he actually had no hands at all. Below the sleeves of his shirt were long thin triangles of boneless flesh.

Kim drew in breath sharply. "I, uh... "

"You wanted to see, so take a good look." He raised up his arms and began to move them back and forth. Kim quickly realized they were boneless as well, since ordinary limbs could never undulant in such a snake like manner.

_Well, he's in the family for sure, but why did I get the warning about him? Maybe they stretch out like taffy?_

She watched him bring the tips of his tentacles close together until the space between was an inch or less. Roku closed his eyes in apparent concentration and after a few seconds had passed there was a sudden surge of electrical energy that crackled and hissed as it traveled the gap from one limb to the other.

_Okay, all right, that's not good. But still, I'm wearing special Wade shoes and they have insulating properties so I'll be fine. _

His eyes were open again and they now had a rather sinister glow which could have just been reflected light from the current passing through his body but somehow she knew it wasn't.

Her partner in the poncho said something to her but Kim couldn't make it out over the sizzling noise coming from the young man.

_Man, could I use a Ron style distraction right about now. _

Deciding to momentarily forego her traditional head on attack, the teen back flipped upwards until her hands caught a tree branch ten feet above her. She circled around it twice and used the momentum that built up to launch herself at Roku.

A lightning bolt passed through the space where Kim had been an instant before.

_But I'm safe because when I'm in the air I'm not grounded. _

Even as that thought flitted through her brain, a new surge of electricity was directed toward her and this time his aim was better. The world went blindingly white, then black with multicolored sparks, and her body felt as if it had been pierced simultaneously by a thousand heated needles.

Kim would have cried out in pain if her voice box had not become as paralyzed as her arms and legs. She was aware of the ground rushing up at her but couldn't take any action to lessen the impact of her fall.

The lower half of her body crashed into a bush that collapsed partially under her weight. She came to rest with her legs folded up against her chest and her head lolled to one side. The rest of her body began to lean in that direction as well, and she could feel herself start to topple over.

An instinctual fear of falling set her heart thumping violently once more but still she was unable to control any part of her body that could keep her upright.

After a drop of perhaps four feet, her shoulder struck the ground and the back of her head followed an instant later. She rolled onto her side with her arms sprawled haphazardly and one leg still tangled in shrubbery.

Unfortunately she was not facing toward the fighting figures so Kim's only knowledge of the continuing battle was more growling and hissing, another burst of electrical energy being discharged, and finally a series of heavy thuds.

In the silence that followed she could easily discern the soft pad of footsteps coming closer to her. Something cold and rubbery encircled one of her wrists and she was dragged along the ground for several feet. Her arm was allowed to drop back to the earth and then Roku's face appeared in her field of vision, wearing a smile even broader than before.

"Sorry to disagree, hot stuff, but it turns out I actually did enjoy that, after all."

Several uncomplimentary, even profane responses occurred to Kim but she could no more speak than she could move. Her skin everywhere felt very hot, like she had been lying in the sun for hours, and all the muscles in her body were taking turns twitching and throbbing.

The wide, almost distorted head of the other attacker appeared across from him and peered down at Kim as well.

_Well, that means my buddy in the poncho is down, too, maybe permanently, and I am in some serious trouble here. _

A hoof touched her cheek and her head rolled in the opposite direction. It moved again and she was staring straight up once more.

_It's like I'm just a toy here, but I don't think I'm going to enjoy whatever game they come up with to play._

The more normal looking of her two attackers stood up and quickly disappeared from view.

_Is he going to leave me alone... with that?_

A low whistle sounded from the direction he had moved toward and was repeated two more times. Then Roku reappeared.

"One more member of the gang for you to meet."

He used the edge of his shoe and an unnecessary amount of force to turn her head sideways. About ten feet away Kim saw a bundle of sticks and gray rags on the ground that she was sure was not there earlier.

"Step away. Go get him up," Roku ordered. There was a pause, then she heard the heavy thumping of footsteps moving off. With her eyes directed downward she caught a brief glimpse of the hulking figure presumably stomping over to the invisible thing she had knocked out earlier.

Her gaze moved back to the bundle and was surprised to see it was closer now, even though there was no one near enough to have moved it.

Kim looked more carefully and noticed there was something curious about the sticks. There were at least six of them and they all pointed up out of the gray cloth, then down to the ground. And they were quivering slightly even though there was no breeze at all that she could feel.

One of the sticks raised up as if controlled by an unseen string and was quickly followed by two more. Kim wondered if the invisible creature was conscious again and playing a trick on her, but that theory shattered as the bundle began to crawl along the grass.

_It's alive! _

The multi-legged thing scuttled closer to her position without making a sound. When it was perhaps four feet away, it stopped and something emerged slowly above the middle of the gray cloth.

It didn't immediately register on the teen just what she was seeing. There were too many eyes, for one thing, and the mouth was vertical rather than horizontal. But undeniably it was a face she was looking at, even if the only truly human aspect to it was the unmistakable expression of malevolent hatred being directed toward her.

* * *

(More author notes:

The good news is I'm getting closer to the conclusion of this novel, although it probably doesn't seem that way to Kim at the moment. The bad? I can't promise weekly updates anymore because my surplus of unposted chapters is getting very low. I'm sure there are people out there who could actually turn out a five to ten thousand word chapter every seven days, but I'm not one of them. I started writing this one last summer. But bear with me because I'm committed to completing this one just as quickly as RL obligations will allow. See you at the finish line! Oh, and if you put "Undercover" on Story Alert, you'll be sure to never miss an installment.

Kim Possible was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

She is used here without permission from the copyright holder but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	17. Not Alone

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and **disturbing** violence.)

* * *

**17. Not Alone**

Sunday Night:

_I never believed there was ever such a thing as a hopeless situation. Just not a part of my world view. But like Ron said earlier today, there's a first time for everything._

Kim Possible was lying on the ground next to an apparently deserted road on the outskirts of a small Connecticut town with the improbable name of Stars Hollow. It wasn't a particularly comfortable position to be in, but that had little to do with the assorted stones and twigs poking her in various places. At any rate, moving just wasn't an option right now.

_So, let's count up all the negatives I'm facing right now. I'm outnumbered three, no, _four _to one. That I know of. The number keeps going up. And I'm alone, no Ron and no Rufus around. And my opponents aren't your run-of-the-mill henchmen for hire, either. They're genetic mutations, nasty mixes of human and animal DNA. In order of appearance those species would seem to be chameleon, bull, electric eel, and spider. Any one of them would be a serious threat, but I get all four together. Oh, and there's the little matter of being completely paralyzed. Because of a shocking by Eel Guy, I can't move a freakin' muscle!_

As if to demonstrate her helplessness, Roku, the young man who could fire off bolts of lightning, put a shoe on the teen's arm and shoved her so that both shoulders were flat against the earth. Or would be if not for the backpack she wore.

_Staring straight up now means I can't see that spidery thing creeping up on me anymore, but I know it's still coming closer. What I don't know is what will happen when it reaches me. _

_Okay, so I'm not exactly Professor Akari here but I've picked up a little arachnid info from watching the Knowing Channel. They have venom of course. And I think they can squirt some kind of liquid into their prey so that the internal organs dissolve into a more digestible kind of a soup. Well, that's a pleasant little factoid! Think, think, think. Oh, right, don't some arachnid species inject their eggs into captured animals so that the babies have a place to hatch and have their first meal?_

_Okay, without a doubt the most TMI moment of my life so far!_

Kim strained her ears for some indication that the spider creature was coming closer but heard nothing.

_Which does not mean that it's gone away. I probably only have seconds here so I need to focus like never before. This paralysis is not permanent; it can't be! And if it's a temporary condition, then I can make it go away faster. It's just a question of concentration and will power. _

Kim closed her eyes and called up a visualization technique that she had used successfully in the past.

_Start with your fingers. Picture them in your mind's eye. Now focus on making them move..._

Both her arms raised up abruptly and for an instant the teen believed she had somehow willed herself into full mobility. When her eyes snapped open, however, she saw that it was Roku's tentacles that had lifted her arms over her head. As soon as he let go they dropped to the ground as uselessly as before. He kicked her wrists one atop the other and then moved a few steps and prodded her shoes together until they touched, as well.

_Like a human sacrifice! Maybe this lot was working with Gideon Whateley and this is my payback for putting him behind bars. Well, that's actually not one of the ways I ever expected to leave this earth but I suppose it wouldn't make any sense for the victim to have a say in the matter. _

_And maybe it's just as well I can't talk right now, because if I could, somebody would get an earful about how rude it is to just automatically assume that a girl meets the stereotypical requirements of a sacrificee without even asking. _

_That's right, Possible, use the last few seconds of your life to make bad jokes. Don't think about how this will affect your parents or your grandmother. Or that the Director was counting on you to recapture Amy and you failed her. And don't give a thought to the certain knowledge that your best friend is going to spend the rest of his life blaming himself for the premature ending of yours. _

With an even greater urgency than before, Kim applied herself to the task of regaining control of her body. As a doctor's daughter she knew the names for most human muscles and bones and this seemed to aid her in visualizing the effort involved. Almost immediately she realized her left thumb was starting to twitch in response to her mental command. An instant later she could flex it at will, but this resumption of control brought with it a fierce, spasming pain she did her best to ignore.

_Now my legs_, she told herself, focusing on that part of her anatomy with a laser-like intensity. Soon she could feel her knees begin to bend and the heels of her shoes started to scrape along the grass.

_Yes! I'm beating this! Another half a minute or so and I'll be able to stand again and then-_

"Knock it off!" snarled the young man just before he stomp kicked her in the stomach. Her shoulders and legs lifted completely off the ground from the impact and all the air was forced from her lungs.

As Kim gasped for breath, he added in a lower, more speculative tone, "She really shouldn't be able to move for another hour or more. Maybe she's one of us... "

He leaned over and studied her face for a long moment. "Anyway, it's time to wrap things up here. There's other business to take care of tonight."

_That's it then. It's over. The paralysis is fading but it will be several minutes at least before I'm in a condition to fight even one of them, let alone all four. I guess I won't be sitting with Ron at the Senior Table a few months from now after all. Or even at Luke's later on tonight. _

_Hold it._

_  
Hang on. _

_Ron, I think you might have saved my life once again, or at least made this fight a little more even._

With her wrists crossed, her right index finger was almost touching the back of her left glove. Ignoring the continuing pain that came with regaining control, she moved her fingertip slowly, inconspicuously until it rested against a certain button on the miniature control panel.

_I've never done this from a prone position before, but really, what choice do I have? My options are extremely limited right now. And anyway, whatever's gonna happen will still beat becoming a spider baby incubator. _

As soon as the button was activated, Kim felt the top half of her body forced upright as a mechanical arm projected out from her backpack and set a skating helmet onto the top of her head. Then wheels snapped down from the soles of her shoes and flames emerged from the heels to scorch the grass around her.

She was dimly aware of her would be captors backing hastily away, but concentrated on the effort of keeping herself sitting up and returning her right hand to her left glove.

_Come on, just another few inches, ignore the pain. It's your arm, it has to do what you tell it... _

Her hand shook with the intense effort she was exerting but Kim managed to hook a thumb into the cuff of her glove to prevent her right arm from dropping back to the ground. She stretched out her fingers as far as they would reach. Making contact with the correct button wasn't too difficult, but mustering the strength to activate it was. Her pinky was of course her weakest finger, and now, when it felt like acid was flowing through the veins of her hands and arms as an aftereffect of her electrical punishment...

_Press it. Push down. There!_

Her attackers had started back in her direction but the sudden firing of Kim's jet pack caused them to turn away again.

That was probably a good thing decided the teen, because her takeoff did not go smoothly. She scraped along the ground for several feet until she managed to return to a perpendicular position, and even then she crashed through a pair of good size branches before reaching the safety of the tree tops.

Only when she was able to activate the hover mode setting did Kim feel herself start to breathe again. She switched off the rocket skates and then slowly brought a hand up to gingerly rub her shoulder. It hurt in a different way than the sharper, piercing sensations that she had and still was experiencing as the muscles of her body gradually returned to her control.

_Yeah, well, you use your helmet and then your shoulder to barrel through tree limbs that thick and you're going to feel the effects for awhile. I've probably picked up so many bruises this weekend that beneath my clothes I'll bet I look like I'm part leopard. _

_But I'm still alive. Thanks to you, Mr. Danes, who has given me so much help and support in the last two days that I'm not sure a handshake will be thanks enough the next time we meet. And as for you, Mr. Stoppable, man oh man... _

_Okay, Possible, refocus. Prioritize your thoughts here. _

With the aid of her night vision glasses it was a simple matter to locate her erstwhile captors. At a distance of perhaps forty feet, precise details were lacking although she could identify each of the three figures standing together in a group by the roadside.

_But what is that dark spot on the grass between them? And why is Bull Boy kicking at it? Is it the spider thing and they're mad at it because I got away?_

_No. _

_You weren't alone down there, Kim. You had an ally with you, someone that you just abandoned to save your own skin. _

She watched two more kicks connect with the camouflage poncho before deciding what to do next.

_I'm not ready to fight yet. This is going to end badly. But I still can't just float around up here and do nothing. At least I can spare like five seconds and tell Ron what the sitch is._

Kim used a not quite steady hand to pull the Global Justice cell phone from her pants pocket.

And found it dead. She jabbed her thumb down on several buttons but it remained dark and silent.

_What, did I bang it against something? Or was it my electro-shock therapy of a few minutes ago? Yeah, I bet that's what did it. _

_Cheap piece of-_

With an effort she resisted the desire to throw it earthward, and instead thrust it back into her pocket.

_I just know the Kimmunicator would have stood up to that kind of treatment but I don't have it with me now. Ron's got it. _

With a bitter shake of her head and a few muttered words unused since her elementary school days, she started her descent.

* * *

As soon as they released her arms, Kim Possible dropped down onto her hands and knees and would have collapsed the rest of the way if not for the firm grip on her jet pack. A foot was planted against the small of her back and the bag was pulled upwards until one strap and then the other came free from her limp arms.

The teen sank forward until the side of her head rested on the grass. With her body bent almost double at the waist, it was a simple matter for someone to reach beneath her and fumble open the fastening for her equipment belt. As soon as this was removed, she received a shove on the hip that laid her out flat on her back.

"Where's your tricks now, Red?" growled Roku. He pulled off her shoes, then squatted over her chest and yanked off the night vision glasses. "Aren't you gonna try to set us on fire again?"

Kim's brain was rather woozy at the moment, overwhelmed by the pain messages coming in from virtually every part of her body, but it seemed that his question didn't really require an answer.

Clearly he saw it differently. One of his tentacles lashed each of her cheeks in turn and she was only able to stifle the second groan.

Without the goggles his face was no more than a barely discernable oval in the darkness but she directed her eyes to where she thought his would be and mumbled, "It's becoming more tempting of an idea."

He slapped her face twice more, then paused.

"Up almost to even money now," she added.

Kim steeled herself for a new round of punishment but he contented himself with a single lifting up and slamming down of her head against the ground.

Getting back to his feet again, he placed her wrists and ankles close together like before and called out, "Get over here. Now. We've wasted too much time already."

Kim understood the spider thing was being summoned back to her position and was vaguely aware that nothing good would come of its renewed attentions. But the full significance of its likely actions no longer occupied a large place in her thoughts. The level of physical suffering she was now experiencing made it almost impossible to concentrate on anything other than a fervent desire for unconsciousness.

Even so, however, there was a small corner of her brain where she felt relief and even something like happiness that Ron wasn't there to witness or to share her fate.

* * *

The memories of the events that followed were disjointed and incomplete. The sensation of the human arachnid actually crawling over her body should have evoked horror and repulsion but the only impression she could actually recall afterwards was that at least it didn't hurt.

Blackness came next and while logic suggested Kim had fainted, the teen would always prefer to believe that she had in fact passed out temporarily from the pain.

There was some sort of car ride, or more probably a truck ride that evening because she dimly remembered lying on a grimy slab of metal that vibrated slightly but incessantly while a white noise humming filled her ears. Those two effects conspired together to prevent her from having any idea of where she was being taken or how long the trip might have been.

Eventually Kim became aware of a low moaning sound coming from close by that pierced the foggy lethargy of her brain.

_Sounds like somebody else is having a bad night, too. Sorry friend, I can't spare you much in the way of sympathy. Not feeling so hot myself right now. _

She took a few deep breaths and mentally surveyed her present condition. The teen was lying on her left side, her cheek in contact with cold unclean cement, and her arms and legs bound together but stretched across the floor.

The intense agony she had felt as a result of her earlier mistreatment had subsided to more tolerable levels, although before the new standards set by this night she would have considered herself to still be experiencing a great deal of pain.

She forced open slightly gummy eyelids and was confronted with a rusting corrugated metal wall less than a foot away. Her gaze traveled up its length a yard or more but stopped at a large cobweb on the underside of a horizontal support beam.

_Blaugh._

She closed her eyes again, marshaled her energy, and then forced herself up into a sitting position.

_Well, no sign of the paralysis at least. I still feel like I went over Niagara Falls in a teacup, but not having any broken bones is both comforting and surprising. _

Even without her railroad-spike-through-the-temples headache she would have found her new surroundings intensely bright. When she brought up her hands to shield her eyes, she noticed that it wasn't the traditional manacles or rope that held her wrists together so tightly, it was a few silvery threads of... silk?

_Close but not exactly right. _

_Okay, now I get what Roku meant by 'wrap things up here'. Well, out of all the things that spider creature could have done to me, this actually isn't so horrible. _

She stared at her wrists again, or more specifically at the top of her gloves where they covered her wrists.

_So why didn't they put the webbing on my skin? _

The teen looked down at her ankles. More of the silk like strands had been used to bind her legs together but they touched only her socks.

_Is this a test? A game? Maybe they want me to try to escape so they have an excuse to kill me..._

"Bad night sight."

Kim whirled toward the source of that inhuman voice, then cried out softly as the sudden movement ramped up the pain level from her head and right shoulder.

She breathed in and out once and whispered, "Hello, again."

The figure in the camouflage poncho was seated about ten feet away, back resting against the wall. Instead of webbing, Kim saw that thick coppery wire had been used to fasten its wrists and ankles.

"Stupid, too," Kim was told after a pause.

"Well, whatever the reason I plan-"

The teen broke off as her fellow prisoner emitted a very low growl. Of warning?

Kim watched the shrouded head incline slowly in the direction of a large cardboard box a few yards away. There was a length of 2 x 4 resting on top of it but no one she could see. That she could see.

_Of course! What better guard is there than an invisible man? I guess they can afford to careless about some things when they have resources like this. _

She turned back to her companion. "Are you hurt?"

A head shake was the response.

Kim lowered her voice still further. "I heard you moaning earlier."

The clawed hands moved back up to the area of its throat. "That was you."

"Oh. Ahh, anyway, do you know where we are?"

The hood moved from side to side.

"To me it looks like a barn that's been converted to a factory," said Kim. "That conveyor belt is too far away to tell what they make here, exactly, but the musty smell and all the dust makes me think it's not in regular use any more." _Which means our captors can take their time in dealing with us. Nobody's gonna interrupt the fun. _

"So how many of them are here now?"

A shackled hand with four raised talons was the reply.

"Then I've met everybody? There aren't any others?"

"There are others... Haven't seen them here."

_It, no, darn it, he, he always pauses before speaking, like he's steeling himself for the pain it causes. Well, how talkative would a person be if they could only speak when their hand is resting in ice water? Or on top of a lit stove? Ask questions that can be answered non-verbally as much as possible. _

"Seen Amy yet?"

His head shook again.

"And it would be best if she doesn't appear here at all?"

He nodded and Kim decided she had run out of questions for the moment.

The teen stood up slowly and cautiously. _No dizziness or balance problems, that's good. And my muscles are all following orders again. I'd say I'm completely recovered from the electrical paralysis. _

_Of course there's a whole new set of aches and pains in place now. A pounding head, throbbing shoulder, a face and stomach that feel as raw as hamburger... _

For a moment she was back at the roadside, reliving the battle with the three pseudo humans. Except it wasn't much of a battle. Because of her shock treatment, she was weak and sluggish and for every blow she managed to deliver, the teen had probably received three. And if some of those punches had come _after _she had stopped fighting, well, that was just the excitement of combat and had nothing to do with resentment toward a strictly human opponent.

_Yeah._

_Anyway, this isn't the first time I've come off so badly in a tussle, or even the second. But how come every time it's happened Ron _wasn't_ with me? _

Wincing, Kim raised her arms over her head and arched her back. She then bent forward again until her gloves touched the floor. She repeated those motions a few times, and started stretches to the left and right as well, until all the stiffness, if not the pain, had been forced from her limbs.

Apparently she had been watched because as soon as she stopped a voice close by said, "Looks like you're getting ready for Round Two."

Kim worked hard to assume a casual expression as she turned slowly toward the young man who could control electricity. With a quick glance at her restrained wrists she replied, "The odds will never be better. For you."

Roku smiled. "How about that? You didn't get all the fight knocked out of you yet."

"But not for lack of trying on your part." _At the first sign of him pulling those tentacles out of his pockets, I will... I will... What, hop into action? If this was a sack race, I'd be all set..._

He was giving her another thorough appraisal. "So you're a cop, right? My compliments to your department's uniform designer."

With her face twisted up, she turned from him and looked over at his gigantic bull-like companion.

_Just as dumb looking as I remember and twice as wide. But that still leaves one more member of the Terrible Trio..._

She gingerly moved her head to the left and then the right, spotting him about fifteen feet away.

He got only a cursory glance at first, but she quickly turned back for a more detailed examination. The man with the power of invisibility was thin to the point of emaciation, and naked save for a brief pair of shorts that kept changing colors in a random pattern.

_Could those be made of Unstable Molecules, the stuff my Dad invented awhile back for spacesuits? That would explain them turning invisible when he does. _

Then she noticed his garment wasn't the only thing that had a variable appearance. His skin was a chalky white but at various places and times it became translucent so that she could actually see the workings of the bones and organs within his body.

_Okay my last meal was hours, maybe even days ago for all I know, but I'm still feeling like I may never want to eat again. _

Intentional or not, the three had spread around her in a wide circle so that Kim could only view them one at a time. Taser Boy was clearly the most dangerous of the group but he had moved behind her. She could try to shift her position so he was in view again, but that would require her to make a series of undignified little bunny hops, and he could just move once more.

Kim raised her face upward and let out a low sign. _It's not going to call for any real acting ability for them to believe I'm feeling pretty helpless right now. _

_Man, that ceiling is high! Reaching one of those support beams would be dicey even when I was at my peak. _

_And I would definitely have a better chance of coming up with a viable plan if I didn't have a screaming headache!_

_Ron, I've already realized that I always, always want you in my life. But now I'm gonna get really greedy and hope that our next reunion comes up in the very near future. _

"I guess you didn't get my point, Lucy. I want to know who you're working for."

Her ears told Kim he was probably some ten feet away from her, well beyond the range of a plausible attack attempt given her current bonds.

"Global Justice," she gritted out.

"Means nothing to me. How many others are working with you?"

"Last I heard GJ has a staff of eighteen thousand."

"That's nice. But I'm talking about people working directly with you. How many are there and where can I find them?"

_The Q and A session just ended. _With her face set, Kim wriggled and baby stepped herself until she was facing toward him again. Eyes locked on his, she shook her head solemnly.

_Ten feet away? I wish! It's more like twelve or thirteen. And it might as well be a mile. _

Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest as he pulled the tentacles from his pants pocket. "Think about it, Red. Give it careful consideration."

"Don't need to," was her quiet reply.

He put the tips of his rubbery limbs close together and after a moment's concentration a jagged bolt of crackling energy surged between them.

_No, please... I don't want to experience that again... Don't want to hurt like that anymore. _

But thankfully her voice was steady and resolute as she told him, "The answer's not going to change."

He nodded and increased the distance between his almost arms. The controlled lightning crossing from one to the other hissed more loudly. His eyes took on a neon glow and her own began to scan the upper level of the barn.

_Ron, there have been other times when you came out of nowhere to literally save my life. But this could top them all... _

Seeing nothing along the platform railing above her, Kim returned her attention to the young man. It seemed the power level was greater this time, much greater, because the intensity of the electrical power he was calling up was making her hair quiver slightly.

_I guess that means a closed casket cerem-_

"I know."

As if a switch had been flipped, the lightning arc disappeared and his eyes returned to normal. "What do you mean, you know?" he demanded of the person in the camouflage poncho.

One clawed hand was pressed to the area below the hood but the words that followed seemed as painfully uttered as ever. "Know who she is working with... Know where they are staying... Could even tell you... how to lure them... to a trap of your choosing."

_All right, just when you think life couldn't get anymore suckish_...

For the first time in their brief but memorable acquaintance, Kim saw a look of confusion on the young man's face. He glanced briefly at his two companions, then back at the other speaker. "I... So... So you finally decided where your true loyalties lie. Wise move."

He made a dismissive gesture with one of his flippers, which puzzled Kim until she was shoved violently from behind. Although she managed to get her bound hands beneath her, she still hit the floor with a jarring impact. The teen started to rise to her feet again but gave that up when she was prodded forcefully between the shoulder blades with what she guessed was the end of the 2 x 4.

"Well, start talking. Let's hear the plan." Roku had taken up a position on one side of the hooded figure, the bull like creature on the other.

"No," they were both told.

"Is this supposed to be a joke?" Getting no answer to that question, Roku asked, "Why did you say you'd help?"

"I said I could help... Didn't say I would."

He exhaled angrily and rubbed his chin with one of his tentacles. Then he called up his lightning power again. "You get the same choice the Name did. Cooperate or suffer."

After a not so lengthy pause he said, "That's a clear enough answer." A bolt of electricity shot out to surround his target in a sizzling halo. The poncho wearer stood statue still as energy coursed over every part of his body.

When Kim realized this shocking was not going to be a momentary surge like hers had been, she called out, "Stop it! You're going to kill him!"

Out of what she could only see as pure vindictiveness, Roku continued on for several more seconds before the lightning effect was drawn back.

The shrouded figure crumpled to the floor without a sound except for the slight tinking noise of coiled metal wire against cement.

Kim twisted to one side which threw the invisible man off balance so that he was no longer standing directly above her. She began to crawl as quickly as her bound wrists and ankles would allow and since she wasn't struck by the wooden board along the way, she knew the trio's leader must have waved back the other.

Reaching the side of the motionless figure, the teen glared up at the young man and said, "Assault, kidnapping, and now murder. It's been a busy night for you."

"Shut up. And get _his_ hood off."

Kim looked down and after a moment of hesitation she gripped a place on the poncho where a man's shoulder would be and pulled. When the figure was lying flat and face up, her fingers moved toward the Velcro fastening at the bottom of the hood opening.

"Go on," Roku told her, his smile back now. "Unwrap your present."

_This is gonna be nasty. And what if it, ah he, is still alive but needs CPR?_

_Then that's what you'll do. Period. Unless you are going to start prescreening help applicants based on fashion sense or a pleasing appearance..._

Ignoring her captor's expression of gleeful anticipation, she yanked open the front of the hood and pushed it back down to the floor in a single motion.

_Okay, so where's the ugly? He's actually not bad... In fact, I'd say almost too pretty. Very full lips and those long lashes, if not for the razor sharp claws, he'd probably teased by the other creatures for looking too much like a..._

_A girl!_

_Well, duh. Double duh, even. But now that the correct gender has been determined, the last remaining question is living or dead? _

_The carotid artery is right where it's supposed to be, and her pulse seems strong and steady. Can't be positive, through, since my watch is buried in a pocket where I can't reach it right now with my wrists tied up like this. Anyway, her physiology may not match up all that closely with a completely human female. _

Kim shifted her hands a little and gingerly raised each eyelid. The irises were an unusual shade of light amber but the pupil dilations appeared normal enough.

The teen drew back her arms, wanting to put a greater distance between her fingers and the unconscious female's teeth. _If she was to come to with me hovering over her, it could be a case of bite first and ask questions later. _

Kim turned back to the sandy haired man. "Looks like we'll have to amend your charges to attempted murder."

Roku rubbed his chin again as some fleeting emotion crossed his face. Irritation? Relief? "I guess that gives the two of you a little more time together. Enjoy it while you can."

He stepped over to the man with the power of invisibility and they conferred in tones too low for her to understand. As Roku and the bull like person disappeared from view around a pallet piled with corroded metal barrels, the club wielding stick figure seated himself back on the large cardboard box. As soon as he set the wood down he seemed to wink out of existence again.

_And it's back to just me and Puma Lady, hanging out. _

Kim sighed and walked on her knees to a place where she could lean back against the wall. With her legs drawn up before her, her lap would be hidden from the view of anyone watching her while sitting on the cardboard box.

_Yeah, except I don't know for sure if he's still there. He could be standing six inches away and I'd never even pick up on it. _

_But my new friend knew his location even when I didn't. She can smell him, or heard him breathing; maybe she can even see farther into the light spectrum than an ordinary person can. _

As Kim debated whether or not she should attempt to awaken the unconscious female, her eyes moved around the barn's interior. _It's been converted into some kind of assembly line but I still don't know of what exactly._

Her eyes returned to the floor in her immediate vicinity. _There's a lot of these metal shavings scattered about. _She rubbed some of them between forefinger and thumb. _It's a soft metal. Doesn't hold an edge. Lead, maybe?_

A faint silvery glitter to the left caught her eye. At first she thought it was a paperclip but a closer and hopefully inconspicuous examination revealed it was actually a fish hook.

_So this is or was a packaging and distribution center for fishing supplies. That could mean something. I'm by the ocean, or some body of water at least. Or did this place close down because there is no local fishing?_

_Face it, Possible. You have no idea where you are now or how long it's been since you got captured. The only thing you can be sure of is that Ron's out there, somewhere, and he's going to find you. Of course if Wade was on the job, he probably would have gotten here already..._

Her eyes made another futile pass along the railing of the upper level of the barn then flicked rapidly to the figure lying about ten feet away.

_Did she just move? No, still as motionless as ever. I have to consider the possibility that she may never-_

Silently and without any advance warning the woman in the camouflage poncho raised up on her clawed hands and feet. She arched her back like a cat and her long, thick wheat colored hair reminded Kim of a lion's mane.

A seemingly effortless leap brought her next to outer wall of the barn. She turned around and leaned backwards like Kim had done with her legs drawn up in front of her.

After a long moment of staring at the cardboard box which might or might not be occupied with an invisible man, she twisted suddenly toward the teen and asked, "Why did you come back?"

"I... " _Man, I thought Whateley had a disconcerting stare._ "I never went away. Been here with you the whole time."

A hand came up to massage her throat. "You started to fly away... when we were by the roadside... but then came back."

"Ah. Right. Well, I'd like to think that we're working together here to track Amy down and put her someplace where she won't be hurt. And we can't work together if we don't stay together."

After waiting several seconds for a reply Kim added, "And now I've got a question for you. When your... relative was about to electro-broil me, you distracted him. You took the heat off of me, literally, and brought it down onto yourself. Why did you do that?"

The glittering eyes remained locked with Kim's but she didn't answer except for a dismissive shake of her head.

"All right, I'll try again. You know my name is Kim. What's yours? What do I call you?"

After a pause she answered, "Te'sera."

"That's a very pretty name," ventured Kim.

"Sometimes Vier."

"Okay."

"Or Shi."

"Huh."

"Cuatro has been used a few times... But mostly just-"

"Four! All those words mean the same thing: the number four."

She nodded and touched her neck again. "I was the fourth... of Amy's human-animal hybrids."

"Well, I'm the oldest child in my family but I don't call myself 'One'. If Amy couldn't be bothered to name you, pick one out for yourself."

"No... You start to think too much... like a Name and you die."

"Why... What... " _Drop it, Kim. It doesn't matter why she believes that. She just does._ "So how many of Amy's... How many like you?"

"Living?"

"Umm, yes."

"Eight."

"And at the start?"

"Fifteen."

_Wow, no wonder she was so jumpy when we first met. You don't have to be an actuary to know those survival rates bite big time. _"So all the ones who are gone now were killed by humans, ah, by 'Names'?"

"Mostly... But after a while... the gene splicing gives out... and we die anyway."

_Talk Kim, say something. Don't let the conversation end on a sentence like that. _

_But if I ever, ever feel tempted to throw myself another pity party..._

"Umm, I... So I get it now. Roku is the Japanese word for Six."

Te'sera nodded.

Kim gave a quick mirthless laugh. "A younger brother. I should have known. What about Tobey?" After getting a blank look, Kim added, "The, uh, Spider Man."

"Fourteen."

"Bull Guy?"

"Five."

"Okay, and who does that leave?" Kim moved her head very slightly toward the cardboard box.

Te'sera looked in that direction for an instant, then back at the teen. "Eleven is still over there."

_How does she do that? _"Are you the one who came up with the idea of non English number variations?"

She nodded.

"But it never caught on with the others?"

"No."

Kim wanted to ask if she was also the only one who didn't want to harm Amy but decided that needed to remain their secret for awhile longer.

_In fact just about all the questions I have left concern Amy. Like why was she broken out of prison? What's her connection to Whateley? What's the rest of your family want to do with her? Was she the one who put you on my trail? And of course the ever popular, where the heck is she right now? _

_Maybe we'll get a chance to have a private conversation later on but for now I can't risk-_

Kim turned toward the sound of murmuring voices from a doorway about twenty feet away in time to see a group of several figures step into view.

_Okay, at least one question can be crossed off that list. DNAmy is in the house._

* * *

(More author notes:

The time has long past for me to publicly thank my long suffering beta reader, Melissa Whatshername, for duty above and beyond the call. Considering that you don't even like Kim Possible all that much, (the character, not the show) your hard work on my behalf is truly and deeply appreciated. If grammatical errors made it into the posted chapters of this story, it can only be that I ignored rather than followed your excellent advice. I love you sideways eight thingy much, but still believe that KP could have taken down Voldemort in a short chapter, rather than seven books. And speaking of Tom R, I bet his reviews were a lot like the ones you write...

For anyone who missed the notice last time, future updates for this story MAY not come on a weekly basis anymore. But they will come.

In the Marvel Comics Universe, Unstable Molecules were invented by Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, or more properly by his first biographers, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Excelsior!

Kim Possible was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

She is used here without permission from the copyright holder but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	18. Choose Your Battles

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**18. Choose Your Battles**

Monday Morning:

_There she is, Amy Hall, AKA DNAmy, the woman I came two thousand miles to find. The reason that over the last forty eight (or maybe more) hours I've been shot at, bloodied, bruised, beaten, and almost electrocuted. So it's apple pie easy now. Grab her, go, and do the handover to Global Justice. _

_Except... _

_Except, while I'm_ _not the Lucrezia Borgia of the kitchen_ _some people make me out to be, the whole cooking thing isn't really something I excel at, either._

_And even before Amy arrived, I wasn't doing too well. A trussed up prisoner who just barely managed to stay alive myself. _

_Escape was iffy before__**;**__ now, leaving here with Amy in tow seems about as likely as me becoming a gourmet chef. _

_But somehow I have to figure out a way because this place is full up of genetically engineered monsters, human-animal hybrids, that she created. And they're not very happy to see her again. _

_Yeah, Amy, I don't know if the plan is to kill you outright, or work you over for awhile first. I had a little taste of the working over business earlier tonight and really can't recommend it. It does beat being bio-tasered though, which I also got to experience thanks to one of the nastier examples of your test tube children. Of course, he might have turned out a little less anti-social if you had given him a name other than Experiment Number Six. _

Kim Possible turned to her right to consider her fellow captive. Te'sera, she called herself, and if you didn't know that was the Greek word for four, it might be thought that she was entirely human. Certainly her face and thick golden brown hair were normal enough, pretty even, albeit both a bit dirty at the moment.

_I bet I look way worse right now, though._

Te'sera was wearing an over-sized camouflage poncho that hid the details of her figure but somewhere below the neck, person gave out and animal started. There were long, sharp talons protruding from her fingertips, and her feet, well, paws really, were not even remotely human in appearance.

Like Kim, Te'sera had her arms and legs tied up and both had been watched over by a man with the ability to make himself invisible. The teen cast her gaze over toward the spot they had last seen their guard, then back to the amber colored eyes of the other prisoner.

"Gone," Te'sera quietly assured her. She put a clawed hand to her throat. "Can you summon help?"

"No, your... brother's treatment knocked out my phone."

"Then sneak away someplace to make a call."

Kim hesitated. _Why is the right thing to do never easy?_

"Go on," she was told. "They will... debate things first."

"At least let me untie your-"

She fell silent as the other displayed a mouthful of pointed teeth which seemed to effortlessly bite though the thick copper wire wrapped around her wrists.

"Ah, okay."

"Hold out your arms," Kim was told. One of Te'sera's hands slashed through the air and the webs binding Kim's wrists together were parted. Instantly she reached out for the stout wire that circled the other's ankles.

"No... _your_ legs first."

Kim paused again, then extended her shoeless feet. Another pass of those glittering claws and she could move her ankles apart. She started to reach toward the other prisoner's metal restraints but was waved back.

With surprising flexibility Te'sera was able to bring her ankles and head together long enough for her teeth to separate another length of copper wire.

The teen started to stand up, but realized it would be best not to proclaim their sudden freedom so openly. She crouched down behind the large cardboard box their guard had seated himself on earlier and tried to get a look over at Amy.

About thirty feet away from Kim's position stood a group of six, no seven figures. Amy was at the center, of course. The bull-like man was instantly identifiable by his inhuman bulk, and the one who could become invisible stood out for exactly the opposite reason. It took an emphatic wave of a tentacle before Kim could identify which member of the group had the power to shoot bolts of electricity.

_The spidery guy is probably too small to see from this distance but that still leaves three newcomers that I know nothing about. And I've had quite enough of flying blind this weekend so-_

"Time to go," rasped Te'sera in a voice that no human being could duplicate.

Kim looked at her and said nothing.

"Make the call," she was told.

"I'm not sure splitting up is the right move just yet-"

"Go."

_Okay, she doesn't raise her voice or change her expression but still manages to put some serious anger into that short little word. A pretty good trick._

Their eyes locked together for several seconds before Kim made a sound of exasperation and started off for the nearest door in the direction opposite from Amy.

"I guess I've been demoted to sidekick status," the redhead muttered, reaching for the knob of a door labeled 'Floor Manager'.

It wasn't locked. Kim glanced behind her and had to stifle a groan when the action caused the pain from her shoulder to flare up again. But Te'sera was already out of sight. So_ I'd better get myself moving, too. _

She opened the door just wide enough to slip through and then closed it behind her. This was a corner office with windows on both of the two outer walls. The blinds were drawn for each but there was still enough light to outline the contents of the room. Kim saw three chairs, a pair of mismatched file cabinets, and a flat topped desk with a phone on it.

_No. No way. Not on a bad luck weekend like this one. But still..._

Kim lifted the receiver up from its cradle and brought it to her ear.

No dial tone came forth and none of the buttons she pushed on the phone's control panel produced one.

_Yeah, okay, _that _is the world I live in. _

She set the phone down silently and crept toward the closest window. Her fingers gripped the weighted bottom slat and she slowly lifted it upwards to reveal an empty parking lot. As expected, it was night and she could see no further than an empty parking lot surrounding this part of the building.

The teen unfastened a series of latches and pried back the window until it was open enough for her to squeeze through. But then she stopped.

_This isn't just about me not wanting to be relegated to the Go For Help Girl. When they realize I'm gone, they're gonna come down hard on Te'sera; that's already been demonstrated._ Anyway, _I have no idea where I am, which means I could wander all night long and still never get near a phone. _

Kim took a few deep breaths and crept back over to the office door. She placed her ear against it but heard nothing. The knob was twisted and the door opened a crack. Now she was aware of voices, heated ones, but still too low to be comprehensible to her.

The teen slipped through the narrowest space she could and threw herself to the floor. There was no one in sight in this part of the building but she quickly realized there was now a hole in the wall near where she and Te'sera had been kept as prisoners.

_Man, she's gotta be strong to peel back a sheet of metal like that. Smart, too, because when her 'brothers' saw that, they'd naturally assume I was long gone and not bother to search the rest of the barn for me. _

Kim darted over to the large cardboard box where Invisible Guy had seated himself before. The teen still couldn't see anyone, but their voices were more audible from here. And definitely angry. She moved along a row of irregularly stacked crates for perhaps twenty feet until she came to a narrow gap. Peering through she could see Amy, sitting on a folding metal chair with her back to Kim. She wasn't tied up but the agitated swiveling of her head was a clear demonstration of the danger she felt herself to be in at present. Standing in front of her was a slim child-like figure with long pointed ears whose skin was mostly covered with wispy black hair. A pair of what seemed to be folded beach umbrellas bobbed up and down behind its back.

It gestured with a bony three fingered hand and said, "I'm telling you to forget about the money! The Names would never pay off once they see who they're dealing with." The voice was feminine even if nothing of its body suggested that gender.

"And I still say I could pull it off! In fact I'm the only one here who could!" shouted a familiar voice. Although he wasn't visible from her current position, Kim knew it was Roku, or Six to translate Japanese to English. _But understanding Lightning Lad is close by isn't good enough. I have to be able to see him and the whole group all at once-without them seeing me of course._

She glanced behind her, prepared this time for the pain that came from flexing her neck and shoulder.

_Okay, nobody in back of me at least. As far as I can tell. Facing an opponent with th__e power to become invisible certainly raises the paranoia level in a girl. _

The teen looked upward to the tops of the packing crates she was standing behind. They formed a barrier about ten feet high here.

_I could crawl up onto one of them. If I lay flat I should be out of their line of sight. Unless someone in the group that I haven't met yet is part giraffe... _

Another voice Kim didn't know said, "But you're not going anywhere until you answer for what you did to Four."

"That was in defense of the group," replied Roku. "_She's_ the one who needs to answer for what she's done to us all."

"You tried to kill her!" insisted the person who seemed to be allied with Te'sera.

"If I wanted her dead, that's just what she'd be right now."

Another new voice said, "So you're putting us all on notice now, cross you and die?"

"I never said that! Anyway, why are you jumping on me? I'm not the one who abandoned the Group. I wasn't secretly communicating with Amy. And I sure as hell wasn't the one fighting side by side with a Name earlier tonight.

"So where's your friend now, Four? The one you let escape so she could bring the Law down on all of us. Did you really believe that she was gonna show gratitude for that? Tell the army of cops coming for us all that you weren't supposed to be caged up like the rest of us?"

The silence that followed those questions was probably not the best time for Kim to shift her position but a desperate need to learn the whereabouts of the rest of the group prompted her to start climbing the stacked boxes. She had a bad moment when her eyes cleared the top and she thought the spidery human was right in front of her, but that turned out to be a crumbled canvas drop cloth.

Kim considered climbing underneath it before deciding it would be too risky to put all of her weight on the top crate.

_Besides, this is a better vantage point than before and most of my body is still hidden behind the wall of boxes. _

_Okay now, let's see. Standing around Amy we have Eel Guy, Bull Man, and Invisible Boy, all close together. Te'sera is several feet away, standing next to that bat-like person I spotted a second ago. And next to him, uh, her I guess, is a short, ruddy faced man with some crustacean DNA in him judging by the big lobsterish claws he's sporting. _

_Even without the words, the body language of the two trios makes it pretty clear they are on opposite sides of the what do we do with Te'sera dispute. I don't see the spidery one but I'm gonna put him in the thumbs down column, too. So that leaves one person still to be heard from. _

Kim's gaze moved to a tall, muscular female with a suggestion of Africa in her skin color and close-cropped hair. No non-human characteristics were noticeable at first glance, but a closer, more careful appraisal revealed a slightly snout-like nose and a strange bulge in the back of the woman's baggy pants that Kim realized with a repressed groan had to be a tail.

_Oh, Amy, I almost want to attack you myself. _

The woman's voice was deep and husky, but not unnaturally so. "Four, we are going to need to hear your side of the story. Have you been in contact with this one?" The gesture toward Amy was quick and contemptuous.

"Tri'a, what really happened-"

The dark skinned woman frowned and cocked her head to one side.

"Sorry," rasped out Te'sera in a low tone. "But, Three, it isn't what you think."

"Did you contact her?" repeated the woman. She was facing more in Kim's direction now, and the teen became aware of a vaguely canine quality to her face. Considering her powerful frame, Kim decided, _No, not dog, wolf. _

Something like five seconds ticked by before Te'sera nodded her head once.

"I told you!" said Roku. "I knew she couldn't be trusted."

The questioner silenced him with a flick of her hand. In a disappointed voice she asked Te'sera, "Why would you do that? You know that kind of behavior brings unwanted attention to the Group."

"She... was in trouble," replied Te'sera, one hand raised to her throat.

"And that's a problem, why?" demanded Invisible Man in a quavery voice.

Kim noticed the Bat Woman and the Crab Man had started to edge away from Te'sera after her admission. Apparently helping Amy was an unforgivable act with this lot.

"What kind of trouble?" asked Tri'a, or Three, the woman who was clearly their leader.

"A Name called Whateley had arranged for Amy... " She paused, as her fingers massaged her neck for a moment. "To be broken out of prison."

"What for?" asked the one with wings.

"Not sure." Te'sera's eyes flitted over to Amy for moment. "Some kind of... lab work to be done."

"He tried to get me to-" began Amy.

"Shut up!" snapped Three with surprising vehemence. "You were already warned to keep your mouth closed and if you can't comply with that, I'll do it for you."

Amy immediately went silent and the woman turned back to Te'sera. In a calm voice once more she asked, "Why, why would you put yourself, and put us all at risk, for something like this?"

Te'sera could only shake her head and stare down at the floor.

_Not good, Amy. Not good at all that the leader here has so much obvious hatred for you. Come to think of it, not exactly a stroke of luck for me either, since it's my job to keep you alive until GJ shows up. _

Kim again noticed that Amy had one of her hands buried in a pants pocket where its fidgeting movements were visible through the fabric.

_She would have been searched when they grabbed her, right? Yeah, sure, just like they did me. _

Kim's hand slipped into her own pants pocket and immediately closed around the lipstick laser.

_Okay, that should be comforting, but it's more like I just swallowed a bowling ball. _

Images of the battle against the demons at the Whateley House ran through her mind's eyes for a moment.

_No! Never again. I won't fault Ron for using it the way he did. I would be dead now if he hadn't. Anyway, I... took out some of those goblins myself. But that was a one time deal. No living thing is ever going to be harmed by this gadget again._

The teen returned her attention to the Group when See-Through Guy said, "We all know why she did it. Four wouldn't care about what happens to any of us as long as she still had her 'mommy**.' "**

He gave Te'sera a scathing look.

_Oh, c'mon. He wouldn't actually say-_

"Amy always did like you best," he concluded bitterly.

A few members of the Group exchanged looks at what was apparently a familiar accusation but their leader quickly brought them back to more immediate concerns. "Tell me about the Name you were working with earlier tonight," she said. "She's a cop?"

Te'sera nodded.

"How did she find out about us?"

"She didn't know... " One of her talons pointed at Roku. "Until _he_ attacked her. The plan... was for her to help me rescue Amy... from Whateley. The rest of you... weren't supposed to be involved."

"But we are now," complained the man with the crab-like claws. "And time is running out to escape."

"Then we need to make a decision here," said Roku. With all eyes on him, he added, "I still think we should try for the money. But if that's vetoed, then kill her now. No point in hauling that much dead weight around the country."

Silence fell over the gathering as one by one they turned toward the woman they considered their leader. Something like half a minute passed before she told them, "No. Not this time. It's too important."

"So, we vote?" asked the person with bat-like wings.

"I suppose so," replied Three. "But obviously we aren't going to get a consensus here."

"Well, what are the choices?" asked Crab Claws. "And who do we decide about first, Amy or Four?"

With the Group's attention focused on Te'sera, Amy was able to take something small and shiny from her pants pocket, glance at it for a moment, then quickly shove it back out of sight.

_She couldn't possibly be considering shooting her way out this mess, could she? Hey, this is a woman who has crushed on Monkey Fist, so nothing can be overruled. _

_Yeah, she'd kill to save herself. No doubt about it. But a gun? Too low tech. And still too risky, given the numbers here. No, DNAmy would go with her strengths and take a scientific approach. _

Something Te'sera had mentioned earlier that night popped back into Kim's head and suddenly the teen knew, was absolutely certain, just what Amy had armed herself with.

_Oh boy. The impossibility level for this mission just increased by a factor of eight. _

"Well, somebody needs to say what we're all thinking here," said Roku. "There is no difference between Amy and Four anymore. Whatever we do to 'Mommy Dearest' has to go for her too."

"No, it doesn't," said the winged woman, but there was little conviction in her voice.

"Then you'd better get used to looking over your shoulder for the rest of your short life," said See-Through Guy. " 'Cause if we kill Amy, this one is gonna come after all of us." He turned to face Te'sera. "That's right, isn't it?"

Her only response was to turn away from the others.

"That's it then," pronounced Roku. "She just made the decision for us. So let's get this over with."

Kim's eyes raced from him, to Te'sera, then to the Group leader, and finally down to the sight of their prisoner pulling her secret weapon into view.

_I really, really wished I could have waited for Ron to show up, but that's a luxury I just don't have anymore. Waiting period is over. _The teen jabbed at the control panel on her left glove as she clambered up to a standing position. Almost instantly there was a whooshing noise and then a series of low thumps from a part of the pole barn she couldn't see.

_Well, how about that, they didn't just pitch my rocket skating shoes along the side of the road after all_. Which _probably means my jetpack is here, too. _Kim pressed another button and launched herself through the air.

The mysterious sounds and then the sight of her bag flying haphazardly around the upper reaches of the building were sufficient distractions for the teen to literally drop down unnoticed in the midst of the Group. She grabbed the shoulder of the young man who controlled electricity and spun him around even as her right fist lashed out to his jaw. He rocketed backwards and Kim pivoted in place. One of her stockinged feet connected with the stomach of the man who could disappear, and he might have been knocked back even farther than her first victim if he had not collided with the Bull Man. The hulking figure barely blinked at the impact, but it served to further delay his reaction to Kim's sudden presence. She swung her arms with the full power of her upper torso until her clasped fists struck squarely on his broad nose. Cartilage or perhaps bone gave way from the impact and he uttered a bellow of anguished rage.

Kim slammed into his midsection and he bent slightly at the waist. She took a step backward, jumped up onto his shoulders and then kicked off with both legs. The sound of splintering wood told her he had crashed into or perhaps through one or more of the wooden crates, but she couldn't spare him even the briefest of glances.

Kim was grimly aware that more than half of the Group were now behind her and in no way incapacitated, but she forced herself to ignore the threat they presented. Amy had her finger and thumb on the dial at the top of a small metallic cylinder and was about to give it a twist.

"Don't do it, Amy," said Kim through gritted teeth.

The older woman turned and saw something that made her hesitate.

"Give that to me, Amy."

The teen got a head shake.

Although she felt like she was nanoseconds away from another electrical shocking, Kim kept her voice calm and her eyes locked with Amy. "Hand that over to me."

"I don't think I should do that," was the reply.

"Amy, despite what you've tried to do in the past to me and to people I care about, I never laid a finger on you in any of our previous meetings. Never. But if you use that machine now I promise you, I'm gonna make you regret it."

The scientist frowned at Kim but didn't move her hand back to the control dial.

"You sent Te'sera to bring me to help you. I can do that. I can get you out of here safely, if you give me that machine."

Amy's gaze moved rapidly from Kim to the Group and uncertainty was clearly shown on her face.

"You know what I'm capable of, Amy. Trust me on this." Kim extended her hand toward the device and managed a faint smile. "One Cuddle Buddy collector to another."

Seconds passed and Kim became aware that her shoes and jetpack were both still firing somewhere out of sight. She was debating whether to shut them off when Amy pushed the cylinder into her palm.

"Get behind me," snapped out Kim, as she whirled to face the Group.

They were arrayed in a half circle around the teen. Te'sera's expression was as unreadable as ever, but the others showed a mixture of surprise and anger.

Kim briefly noted the blood on the Bull Man's face and the way Roku held a tentacle gingerly to his jaw, then turned to the leader.

"What is that you've got there?" Three asked in a low, sullen tone.

"Tell her, Amy. The truth."

"Ahh. It's a machine that sends out a pulse of modified thalaron radiation."

"Which does what?" Kim prompted.

"It breaks down the bonds between artificially induced gene splices."

"And that would kill everyone here?"

"Well, not me or you," she assured Kim. "But everyth- everyone else here, yes."

_Yeah, just this once I would have been okay with being wrong about something. _

Kim had no comment to add to Amy's last sentence so she waited and watched.

It was the dark skinned woman who finally broke the silence. With a slight incline of her head toward the device Kim held, she asked, "What do you plan to do with that?"

"Nothing right now," Kim said. "But I will destroy it when I figure out a way to do that safely."

"Give it to me then," said the woman. "We'll take care of it for you."

_Should have seen that one coming. _"I would... I _might_ have agreed to that if I didn't know what some of you seem to have planned for Amy." No one responded to that so Kim added, "She's an escaped prisoner and it's my job to make sure she is returned to custody."

"Or die trying?" asked Roku, with a vicious smile.

"If it comes to that, yes."

"Oh, it's gonna come to that, Red. I'll make sure of it."

The man with the lobster claws said softly, "I think the whole thing is a bluff. I mean Amy hasn't even been out of prison that long. Would she really have had the time to whip up something like that? And even if it's legitimate, has it ever been tested? How could it have been, when we're all accounted for here?"

_Okay, not liking the way this conversation is going. _

"So you're volunteering to be a test subject?"

He looked back at the leader, and said, "No," in a grudging tone.

"Amy clearly believes it will work," continued the woman. "And we need to assume the same thing." She met Kim's gaze. "That's why it, and the thing that created it, are not going to be allowed to leave here."

"Amy's going back to prison. She's not gonna to be able to harm any of you again for a very long time."

"She escaped once. She can do it again."

"Only with outside help," said Kim. "And the person who helped her is in custody himself right now."

The leader seemed to consider this for a moment, then announced, "You are free to go. No one," she glanced quickly toward Roku, "_no one_, will harm you as long as you leave Amy and the machine behind. We'll give you thirty seconds."

"I've already said Amy is going back to prison."

The woman pulled a pocket watch into view. "Twenty-five seconds."

Kim sighed softly as her eyes swept the faces of the Group, then lingered for a moment on Te'sera. _You're still being all stone-faced, but I have to believe that hearing about Amy's fun little gadget has soured you on her a bit. _

"Twenty seconds."

The teen looked quickly at Amy. _Protecting people, defending the weak, that's what I was put on this earth to do. But I can't help but feel bitter that on what may be the very last time I get to do that, it's for someone like you. _

"Fifteen seconds."

Kim went through the motions of a new round of stretching exercises as she gave her immediate surroundings a careful scrutiny.

"Ten seconds.

"Five seconds."

Kim reached out to Amy's sleeve and yanked the older woman over to a position directly behind her. The teen then started to toss the device casually from one hand to the other and was still doing so when the leader spoke again.

"Time's up. Have you decided?"

"Uh huh."

"Are you going?"

"Not alone."

Kim noted the look of grim determination on the Wolf Woman's face, then shifted her gaze over to the man who controlled lightning. She put her finger and thumb on the control dial of Amy's invention and saw his eyes widen in alarm. The teen took her hand away and his features relaxed slightly.

Then she threw it at him.

As much fun as it would have been to watch him frantically grab for the device to ensure that it didn't hit the floor, Kim had no time to spare. She whirled around and half lifted, half shoved Amy in the direction of the wall of wooden crates. They crashed into the exact place that the Bull Man had done so earlier that night.

It was impossible to say whether Kim's strength or Amy's bulk was more responsible, but the impact of their two bodies was enough to topple the already unbalanced higher boxes. At least three of them tumbled downward and the Group members who were moving forward to attack had to retreat hastily.

"You stay put," Kim hissed to Amy before scrambling to her feet. She leapt onto the closest box and it slid along the floor for perhaps a yard before slamming into an invisible but still tangible figure. His cry of pain filled her ears as Kim jumped forward and both feet struck the chest of the Crab Man. He sailed through the air and collided heavily with a fork lift.

Some hint of movement at the edge of perception caused Kim to throw herself to the floor just before one of Bull Boy's hooves could cave in her skull. He bent forward to strike at her again, but she twisted to one side and his blow did nothing but throw up bits of concrete.

As he raised his arms up for a third attempt, Kim made a feinted movement to her left. He leaned over in that direction to prevent her escape and she suddenly grabbed both his ankles and slid herself through his widely spaced legs.

His huge back was a tempting target but before she could strike, a pair of arms had locked around her neck and an instant later Kim felt herself leave the ground at a dizzying speed.

She experienced a moment of disorienting vertigo before realizing that the bat-like female was carrying her through the air.

_Kudos on the element of surprise, _thought Kim. _But you probably should have thought this through a little more carefully before you attacked. We are inside which means you can't lift me up high enough for a fall to do me any real harm. _

_But the bigger mistake is to think that because I'm light and... not all that curvy, I have no strength to me. _

Kim gripped each of her attacker's wrists and peeled them back from her throat. The beat of the other's wings faltered and they started to sink downward, then rose again as the flapping increased frantically.

_Yeah, now it's like you're trying to get away from me, but I'm not letting go until it suits me._

Kim tilted her head back until she could look directly at the winged woman. "Take me that way. Over there."

Anxiety was evident in the face that stared back at her, but so was a rising defiance.

Kim opened her mouth to speak, before that could happen there was a flash of light and a crackling sizzle from far below.

_Okay, Te'sera is back in the game, keeping her younger brother off my back. But I've still got to move fast. Fast and ruthlessly. _

Kim's fingers squeezed the woman's wrists until she emitted a squeak of pain."I said move. Now."

They moved.

"Go higher," commanded Kim after they had traveled nearly half the length of the building. "Up there."

She glanced down at the floor some thirty or more feet beneath her.

_Did I say a fall from up here wouldn't be too bad? Probably true, but it could very well incapacitate me, and there's a whole bunch of people down there who would be happy to take over from there. _

_Simple solution, Kim. Don't fall. _

Without warning the teen suddenly transferred her grip from the flyer's wrists to neck. As the winged figure suddenly bent down at the waist, Kim pulled herself up and swung out her leg until it rested on the other's narrow shoulder.

_In like a fraction of a second she'll get the idea of twisting around until I drop off which means I have to make this quick. Okay, so like my old gymnastics coach used to say, it's the dismount that makes you. Or breaks you. _

Kim's left foot joined her right and for an instant she was standing on her attacker's back as if on a surfboard. The teen bent her legs until almost in a sitting position, then jumped out into the upper reaches of the barn.

Instantly she knew the kickoff had gone badly. A human-bat hybrid with even less body mass than Kim was, in retrospect, probably not the wisest choice for a launching platform. The teen watched her outstretched hand miss the dangling strap of her hovering jetpack by a full six inches and realized at the same time that she had reached the apogee of her jump.

But even as her head began to angle downward, she was applying the experience from dozens of free fall parachute drops to twist and stretch herself until the tip, and only the tip of her right foot entered the oval formed by jetpack and shoulder strap.

_Now bend your ankle to form a hook, and brace yourself, brace yourself..._

Breath was forced out of the teen as her full weight was taken by one foot. Taken and held fortunately.

As soon as she realized she would not be tumbling floorward after all, Kim began to swing herself back and forth until she had momentum enough to reach up and grab hold of the other strap. In a matter of seconds, Kim had wriggled herself until the jetpack was properly secured on her back.

She gave a quick sigh and glanced downward to see Te'sera and Roku circling each other warily. The rest of the Group watched, and so did Amy who was flanked closely by the Bull Man and the Wolf Woman.

_I might be able to swoop down there and snatch Amy up but that would slow my flying speed to a crawl. And even crawling would be faster than attempting to fly Amy and Te'sera out of here together. _

Then it happened. Te'sera jumped to one side but slipped on a piece of splintered wood from a shattered crate and a lightning bolt caught her full on.

As she crumpled to the floor, Kim flew downward at maximum velocity and her shoulder caught Roku on his left side. She grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt and made a rapid course change. When Kim let go his body flew through the air a considerable distance before slamming into Three. Both went down in a tangle of limbs.

But by that point the teen's speed had decreased enough so that someone was able to grab hold of one of her legs. Someone she couldn't see even when she looked downward.

_Okay, mister, time for you to learn that the invisibility thing is a two-edged sword. _Her groping fingers quickly located his neck and a forceful squeeze caused him to release her leg. She put her hands under each of his arms and lifted him up above her. She spun him once, twice and then let him fly in the direction of the Lobster Man.

No physical harm could come from a collision with such a spindly figure but surprise at being struck by an unseen object caused enough of a distraction for Kim to land a punch to the jaw without any defensive actions from his rock like pincers.

A scrape of a giant shoe warned her to whirl and duck just before Bull Man's arms could lock around her. Kim feinted at his already bloodied nose and he flinched slightly. She then landed a knee strike to his (relatively) soft midsection, and with a scarcely audible "Sorry**,**" her fist struck his nose anyway. A snap kick to the point of his jaw caused him to fall backwards like a tree trunk.

Kim twisted around so that she could keep the rest of the group in sight at the same time. Roku was still down; so were Crab Man and the no longer invisible person. The winged woman was hovering at quite a distance from Kim, holding the killing machine in her hands. But their leader was standing behind Amy, her muscular forearms on either side of the scientist's neck.

As soon as Kim met the wolfish female's gaze, she was told, "It's over. You lost."

The teen exhaled wearily and tried without success to think of a realistic denial.

The leader continued. "But you fought very well, for a Name. So the earlier offer still stands. Leave this one behind and stay alive."

Across a space of perhaps fifteen feet, Kim briefly considered the panicked expression in Amy's wide eyes, then looked back at Three. "We go together, or not at all."

The woman shook her head. "A good fighter, but not too bright."

"After the way this weekend has gone for me, I'm not gonna protest that label too strenuously. But on the other hand, how smart is it for you and your friends to spend all this quality time with me when you know, absolutely know, that my backup is on the way here right now?"

Getting no response to that, Kim added, "The only reason I would have to try to detain you, any of you, is if Amy were hurt." She paused a moment so they could carefully consider her words. "Turn the prisoner over to me and you're free to go."

The members of the Group who were still conscious eyed each other thoughtfully, then Three spoke in a quiet voice. "Why didn't you use that machine when you had the chance?"

"Because it's my job to save human life, not take it."

"Sure you really mean 'human'?"

"Special, but definitely human."

The leader took her arms from around Amy's neck while keeping her hands on the older woman's shoulders so she couldn't run way. "What about that machine?"

"Uh, we could call it a parting gift. From me... and Amy."

Suddenly a look of intense anger came over the Wolf Woman and she bared sharp, pointed teeth. Kim braced herself for a new round of battle but instead Amy was shoved forward several feet. The teen waved the scientist to her side and then pushed her down ungently to a prone position. Meeting the leader's eyes again, Kim said, "This was the right thing to do. For all of us. You'll-"

"Three!" There was panic in the winged woman's voice.

"I hear it," was the grim reply.

"Hear what?" Kim demanded.

"Cars," said their leader in a tight voice. "Lots of them. Coming this way."

"I don't hear... Never mind." _Of course you don't hear anything. Your hearing is good, but not animal good. _"Are-are they close?"

"Close enough."

Amy started to rise but Kim used a knee to push her back to a sitting position. "Listen to me, everybody. This doesn't change anything. But you can't leave right now. Anybody who tries to make a run for it at this point is probably going to get shot.

"So stay put, and stay calm, and I promise you we will all make it out of this unhurt."

"No, not all of us, Red."

The teen whirled to see that Roku was standing about a dozen feet away. Even as her eyes met his, electricity began to hiss and crackle between his tentacles.

Kim was instantly and painfully aware that he was too far away to attack with any hope of success and yet still much too close for her to evade one of his lightning bolts. The energy arc between his limbs was blindingly bright this time, and it wasn't just his eyes that glowed now. Everywhere his skin was not covered by hair or clothing, it seemed to have an internal radiance.

"Let it go, Six," said the Wolf Woman in a rather listless tone barely audible above the sizzling noise of the electrical current he was summoning. "That can't do any of us any good now."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, Three. I-we are all just a few hours away from a dissection table, thanks to this one here." Directing his words back to Kim he added, "But you won't be around to see it. In fact I don't think your ashes will have even cooled down by then."

* * *

(More author notes:

For another look at thalaron radiation at work, see Star Trek: Nemesis.

DNAmy first appeared in an episode of the Kim Possible TV series which was written by Brian Swenlin. That talented writer was also responsible for the invention of the Moodulator in Emotion Sickness, so the debt I owe him for my story is immense.

Kim Possible herself was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All these concepts and characters are used here without permission from the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	19. Expect the Unexpected

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**19. Expect the Unexpected**

Monday Morning:

_Oh, he has got me good,_ decided Kim Possible grimly. _I'm like a deer in the headlights here because Roku has positioned himself perfectly. There is no way I can cross the distance between us faster than one of his lightning bolts could. And since I've spent the last several minutes pounding away at him and his fellow man-beast combos, trying to keep them from killing DNAmy, I kind of doubt there will be any real interest in interceding on my behalf. _

_Te'sera would, of course, since she's been doing that all night long. But he shocked her into unconsciousness (or worse) a while ago. _

_Okay, so I'm not the super-hero expert that Ron or Larry are, but even I know that when victory just isn't an option any more, convention calls for you to go down fighting. _

She met his triumphant gaze again and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to summon up whatever reserves of energy remained within her._ Maybe, just maybe, if I push myself to the limit I'll be able to wipe that nasty smile off your face before you put me down out for the final-_

Before she could complete that thought however, a warm heavy rain began to fall down onto them all.

"Damn it, no!" shouted Roku, as his electrical power shut off amid a cloud of hissing steam.

_Attack! _screamed a voice in Kim's head, as her gaze snapped up to the overhead sprinkler system that had inexplicably come to life, and then back on Roku. But she hesitated. Something told her that there would actually be a tactical advantage in staying put for the moment.

As the downpour continued, the young man let out a wordless cry of rage and frustration. He brought his tentacles together once more and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. His angry growl quickly shifted over to a high-pitched shriek of pain as the electrical current he had called up coursed over his own body.

A new envelope of vaporized water completely obscured him for several seconds, and when it was dispersed by the artificial rainfall, Roku was lying sprawled across the floor, absolutely motionless except for the eyes that darted jerkily from Kim to the Group and back again.

The next thing the teen knew she had a hand locked on his throat and his paralyzed body was perpendicular again, while her right fist was drawn back behind her shoulder. She saw the abject fear in his eyes and felt...

Well, pleasure, for a brief moment at least. But this was soon replaced by revulsion at the realization that she was so close, so tempted to strike at a defenseless opponent.

Kim exhaled raggedly and used her left hand to brush back streaming red hair from her face.

"No one is being dissected while I'm around," she said in a tone only just audible above the patter of falling water.

Kim set him back down on the floor with exaggerated gentleness and then turned to see that every member of the Group was watching her intently.

She cleared her throat and said with a raised voice, "None of you is going to be hurt, in any way, as long as you don't make any threatening gestures. Now come over here by... Six and sit down."

Almost in perfect unison, they turned toward the Wolf Woman they considered their leader. When she finally gave a slight nod, Kim's orders were followed unanimously.

She eyed the gigantic Bull Man with feigned indifference as he stepped passed her but, like all of the others, it seemed that a fatalistic lethargy had come over him.

After giving Amy a glare of warning to not move from her current position, Kim risked another glance upwards. _Did my jetpack somehow damage the sprinkler system when it was bouncing around in free flight? Worry about that later, Kim. Right now just concentrate on your six prisoners. _

_Six?_

A quick head count made her realize that one member of the Group was still unaccounted for. Shielding her eyes from the falling water, she glanced all along the floor and then the tops of the nearer crates. To aid her in the search she started walking in a circle around the knot of her erstwhile captors.

Kim was about to question the Group when she spotted the spider-human hybrid peering up at her from underneath a forklift.

"Over here with the others. Move it."

Watching it creep forward silently, eying her (times four!) with a mixture of fear and hostility, produced a twitching sensation between her shoulder blades that had nothing to do the steady stream of water trickling down her back, but Kim said nothing until it was perched atop the Crab Man's shoulder.

"Okay then. A pair of glasses was taken from me earlier tonight and I want them back. Now."

After a moment of hesitation, the man who could turn invisible reached into a front pants pocket of Roku's jeans and pulled them out.

"Toss them to me. Gently." When they were thrust into one of her own pockets, Kim looked at the leader and asked softly, "What's going on outside?"

"There are people on at least three sides of us. Not moving much. And another car is rolling through the parking lot right now."

_Okay, interesting. Now if I just knew whether they're here to help me or kill me..._

Kim was carefully weighing her next question when she realized Te'sera was conscious once more, walking toward her with a slow, stiff gait that hinted at the agony that came with recovery from Roku's lightning blasts.

"You all right?" asked the teen.

The other nodded and raked back sodden clinging hair from her face.

"Y'know, between the two of us tonight I think we've taken enough electricity to power up a good-"

Kim broke off as she spotted a policeman step cautiously into view from behind the wall of stacked crates. His handgun was drawn and so were those of the other two officers immediately behind him.

_Yeah, fifteen minutes ago I'd have been doing a happy dance to see any kind of backup appear, but now it's really more of a liability. With the sprinklers going full blast, it's harder to see or hear what's going on and that means everybody will be extra jumpy. _

Kim raised her voice and her arms. "Easy, easy. Everything is under control here." In a whispered undertone she added, "Te'sera, watch the Group. No sudden movements from anybody."

Keeping her palms out Kim started to walk forward, but halted in place as the sound of rushing feet came from behind her. More police officers were approaching now, from three different directions. Without exception every one of them had a drawn sidearm and most seemed to be aiming at Te'sera.

"Hey! HEY! I said everything is cool here. Back off!"

A policeman clamped a hand on Kim's shoulder and started to push her downward. Without conscious thought she pressed a spot on his palm, gave his arm a twist, and he was down on his knees with a face contorted from pain.

An instant later another officer's 9mm automatic was pointed at her face but Kim's sweep kick sent it flying through the air. Overlapping and incomprehensible shouts were all she could hear after that, and in every direction she glanced there were more guns being trained on her.

_After every I've survived this weekend, it's gonna be friendly fire that does me in?_

No.

Ron appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and placed himself between her and the nearest officers.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! She's a good guy! A good girl! I-This-She's the reason we're all here!"

Kim released her pressure hold on the kneeling policeman. Noting the silver bars on the lapels of the next closest officer, she said, "Lieutenant, you need to pull your people back before somebody really gets hurt."

He considered her for a moment, then watched the burly policeman she had immobilized gingerly massage his hand. "Right. Right." In a louder voice he called out, "Stand down, people! Stand down! And somebody turn off that (expletive) water!"

With weapons holstered, Amy handcuffed, and a greater distance between the cops and the Group, Kim felt herself begin to relax slightly. She pushed her hair back from her face once again and turned toward Ron. His smile was returned automatically but she was suddenly aware of a surge of anger from some irrational part of her brain and wanted to scream out, "Where the hell have you been?"

The teen realized then that despite years of dismissive comments about Ron Stoppable's supposed inadequacies, deep within her she had never doubted for an instant that he would track her down. To her, the only surprising aspect to his reappearance here was that it had taken so long to happen.

From the intense scrutiny he was giving her, the teen decided she was probably looking pretty rough at the moment. She resisted the urge to put a hand up to her face and worked to make her smile more sincere.

"Are you okay, Kim?"

"Of course," she assured him with something approaching nonchalance.

"Where, ah, where are your shoes?"

"Same place as my equipment belt, I guess. Somewhere around here."

He looked to his right and left briefly and then told her in a lowered tone, "I'm sorry about the water, KP. I thought I was shutting off the power to the lights-y'know for a diversion-and then I couldn't get the valve to go back on."

Her eyes darted over to Roku, then back to his. _And I used to doubt there ever was such a thing as the Ron Factor_. "Well, uh, just between you and me, I was probably about due for a shower anyway."

He gave her another relieved smile but it disappeared quickly. Kim turned to see Te'sera moving their way. Kim studied her face a moment but, as always, it told her nothing. Looking past her, the teen noticed the Group was watching intently. "I bet you were sent over here to see if they are really free to go."

Te'sera nodded.

"Well, that depends. Were you going to press charges against Roku?"

"No."

Ron gave a start at the sound of the inhuman voice but said nothing.

"Then neither am I," continued Kim. "Although it's very, very tempting... "

Te'sera put a taloned hand up to her throat. "They... have a hiding place... far from people... Won't be back out among... Names anytime soon."

"What about you?" asked Kim. "Will they let you come with them?"

"Probably... But I won't."

"Other plans?"

She hesitated, then nodded again.

"You know, you could... " _Could come home with me? Well, if I spelled out the whole sitch to Mom and Dad they'd _eventually_ give in, at least until I could call in some majorly big favors and get her set up in a place of her own. _

_But a place to live isn't always a home, a real home where you fit in and feel like you truly belong, and I'm thinking that even a do anything girl would have a hard time finding one of those for you. _

"I-I have a website. You can get a message to me any time you want."

"Right." Te'sera faced toward Ron and murmured, "I'm sorry... for before."

He eyed her warily as he absently rubbed his chest. "No-no harm done."

She brought her nose closer to him and sniffed. In as quiet a tone as she could manage she said, "Monkey." Looking back at Kim she tilted her head slightly and repeated in a more uncertain tone, "Monkey?"

The redhead felt a genuine smile come to her lips. She lifted the shoulder that hurt less and replied, "Long story."

Te'sera nodded, although her brows remained knitted together. Her golden eyes drifted over to a knot of police officers that were openly staring at her. She pulled the hood of her poncho back into place and turned to the Group. A jerking motion sent them moving quickly toward the exit, Roku carried by the wolf-like female. In a matter of seconds all were gone from view and none of them had glanced back in Kim's direction.

Kim saw the officers were shaking their heads and muttering disbelieving comments amongst themselves. She turned to Ron again and saw he was giving her a thoughtful look.

After a while he said, " You two bonded, huh?"

"Hmm, it was more like sharing a foxhole, I think."

"Are, uh, you sure you're okay, Kim?"

She glanced briefly at the sprinkler system that was still pouring down on them. "Well, the strange weather conditions around here are making it even more of a priority that I find the 'good girls' room, but, otherwise it's cool."

Kim noted a pair of police officers were flanking Amy, while a third was writing down notes in a pad she hunched over to keep it dry.

"Ron, give me like a five minute head start here, and then come find me, okay?"

Locating the ladies' room was easy enough, but its current condition left a great deal to be desired. Half of the overhead lights were out and so it had a dim, forbidding appearance, although there was still enough illumination to see a dead mouse in one corner and the swarm of very much alive insects that had made a home of the sink.

On the other hand, there was no sprinkler system in there, and it was perfectly dry except for the water that dripped incessantly from her hair and clothes.

Kim looked down at her socks. When she squeezed her toes together a small trickle of water was produced that created miniature mud patches on the grimy floor.

_Okay, I've been through a lot tonight, and I think I've displayed a sufficient amount of courage and fortitude. __But if I have to walk into a strange bathroom, a strange and filthy bathroom, without some kinda shoes on, I'm gonna freak. _

She opened the door again and saw Ron leaning against a spot along the wall where the sprinklers didn't reach. He has holding one of her shoes upside down in each hand.

Kim made a 'give me' gesture and he tossed the shoes to her one at a time. She peeled off socks that were almost black on the bottom, told him, "Don't wander away," and let the door close between them.

With the main item on her to-do list accomplished, Kim took a moment to examine herself in the mirror above the sink. _Well, my face is a little bit red and swollen but it's not anywhere near as bad as I was expecting. So why does Ron keep looking at me like I'm some strange new life form he's never seen before?_

When the door opened again she saw he had maintained his position almost exactly and there was no one else in the hallway. She moved close enough to share the relative dryness and in a low pitched voice asked, "How come we have local cops here and not Global Justice?"

"That would be another 'long story', KP."

"If you tell me your phone died, too, then somebody in the GJ Quartermaster Section is going to be getting a very irate visitor in the near future."

"Well, you're on the right track... " He pulled a cell phone out of his pants pocket and placed it in her palm.

"Hello! It looks like it's working to me."

"Yeah, except when you try to call GJ."

She started flipping through the history of recently dialed numbers.

"Woodbury Police? That who's out there with Amy right now?"

"Mostly," he replied. "Some sheriff's deputies and State Troopers, too."

"I see those calls, as well. And the Dragonfly Inn. Everything okay there?"

"Yeah, I talked to Rory Gilmore about an hour ago. All quiet." He raised a big hand up in front of her face. "And you should know that I did _not _go off to search for you until the GJ support team arrived at the Inn."

"To search for me because my phone had gone dead?" she asked quietly.

He pressed his lips together tightly, and nodded.

Kim forced herself to look away from his eyes. "So, ah, this Two-One-Two number is the support team?"

"Yeah."

"And then we're down to 'Aunt Betty.' "

"Uh huh. Try it for yourself."

There was a single abbreviated ring and then a prerecorded voice said, "You have reached the offices of Global Justice, the law enforcement division of the United Nations. Press one to leave a message or remain on the line for instructions in other languages."

Kim jabbed down on the disconnect button. "Okay, that shouldn't happen. Ever."

"Kinda my take on the whole deal, KP."

"Hmm. I see here that it's almost four in the morning."

"Right."

"And that would be _Monday_ morning?"

His eyes narrowed. "Kim, what happened to you tonight? How could you not know what-"

"Later, Ron. So not the time for a gabfest." Kim strode quickly down the short hallway and back to the large open area at the exact moment the sprinkler system finally shut off.

Comments of either relief or derision came from several officers but Kim ignored them all. Her gaze swung right and left until she spotted Amy sitting dejectedly on wooden crate, a policewoman on each side of her.

The Detail Commander was speaking into his shoulder mike but when he noticed the two teens, they were waved forward.

"Understood, Dispatch. We're twenty in five. Out."

"Leaving, Lieutenant?"

The man turned to Kim, glanced quickly to Ron, then shifted back to the redhead and directed his comments to her alone. "Well, you, you two, seem to have things under control. And, ah, anyway, most of the crew out here is on time and a half, and our city manager is a (expletive) bean counter."

"Sure," said Kim softly. In a more formal tone she added, "We appreciate the assist tonight."

"Yeah, dude. Mucho grasso. And, uh... " He made a quick, furtive look at Kim before adding quietly, "Sorry again about your data thingy."

The Lieutenant's face went rigid for a moment, then he tugged at his shirt collar and muttered, "That's what insurance is for, right?"

Kim worked hard to keep her mind from dwelling on the potential ramifications of that statement. "Ah, Ron, is the GJ car here?"

"Yeah."

"Lieutenant, I'm sure we can handle things from now on. Thank you again."

They were gone in less than five minutes. Kim eyed Amy thoughtfully for a long moment before gesturing her back to a standing position. The teen jangled the keys to the borrowed handcuffs in a tuneless fashion for several seconds, then announced, "Okay, forget the rules. I'm gonna do it. Turn around, please."

Kim unlocked the restraints and handed them to Ron. Amy cast longing looks toward the exit but Kim put herself into a blocking position. "Eyes back on me. There's still some business to take care of here."

"Like what?"

"Unanswered questions. And if you want to stay on my good side, I better get some honest answers."

"Okey, dokey."

"We'll start with the prison break. Whose idea was it?"

"Whateley's. All Whateley's. I would even rather have stayed in prison than go back to work with him again."

"Where did he know you from?"

"He heard about my... experimental work and agreed to pay for college for me."

"Why?"

"So that I would help him."

"Help him do what?"

"Stay alive."

"Say again."

"His genetic matrix was starting to unravel. I reversed the process."

"Permanently?"

"No. His nonhuman DNA is really tricky stuff. The nucleoplasmic sequencing pattern has this alternating interlay that reverses every four-"

Kim held her hand up in a 'Stop now' fashion. "How often does he need this treatment?"

"Every five years or so."

"And this time around you were locked up so he sent some... allies to break you out."

She nodded.

Kim gave her a thoughtful look. "Does Whateley pay well?"

"Not anymore. These days the deal is help me or die. But Four said he was behind bars now."

"She prefers to be called Te'sera," said the teen curtly. "But it's true. He is. Whateley wasn't the only danger out there for you, though."

"I know."

"So how did those gunmen get on your trail?"

"I think they must have discovered that I had a voice mail messaging system set up so I could stay in touch with, ah, what did you call her? Teresa?"

Kim ignored the questions. "And on one of these exchanged messages you told her to contact me?"

"Yes. I was pretty sure they'd be sending you out to track me down."

Kim looked at Ron, who was grinning broadly, relieved to hear he had not been the cause of their Saturday night ambush. Remembering her ill-advised call to Monique that same morning, Kim also felt a swell of relief.

"So, what happens now?" Amy asked hopefully to the building at large.

Having extracted the information that she needed from the older woman, Kim had no interest in misleading her further. In a quiet voice she said, "I already told you, Amy. You're going back to prison."

"But... I... You don't understand. Monty and me are going through a rough patch right now. And another enforced separation isn't going to help!"

"Uh huh. Well, I guess I have to live up to my reputation as a great big meany, because that is exactly where you're headed."

Amy's head drooped and her shoulders sagged. She absently moved a large splinter of wood back and forth with her shoe, then looked over to the pile of shattered crates that Kim had brought down on the Group.

The woman's gaze moved back to Kim and now there was something new in her eyes. Sorrow, perhaps, or possibly remorse.

"If I have to, then I have to. But before that happens I just wondering if, maybe, I know it's asking a lot but, do you think you might... Could you possibly... "

_Forgive you for almost getting me killed trying to keep you alive?_

"Take me to a store that carries the new Cuddle Buddies?"

_Well, right. Of course. I forgot who I was dealing with for a second. _"Amy, there is no way in the world I'm going to take you-"

"Okay, okay. But you still follow them, don't you? Keep up on the new releases?"

"You know, I'm not that big of... I mean, yes, there was a time in life when I... "

Kim broke off when she noticed Ron smiling at her again.

_Well, he was right there by your side in that store in Upperton a few months ago when you gushed over the latest Cuddle Buddies like a five year old. And he got his mom to provide the transportation, too. Since the woman averages something like a seventy-hour workweek, I bet that took some doing. _

"Okay, here's the deal," said Kim as she faced Amy again. "The Rhinopossum? Ugh! I mean I like purple as much as the next girl, more probably, but they used this really gorchy shade that just-"

Ron stood up and said in a low tone, "I'm gonna go bring the car up."

"Okay," said Kim, then added, "No, wait. We'll all go."

He gave her a questioning look.

"Just a precaution," she assured him. "So, anyway, thumbs down on the Rhinopossum. Now the Koalagator, on the other hand, another story completely... "

* * *

It was surprisingly cool outside, or so it seemed to Kim, but since her hair and clothes were still damp she probably wasn't able to accurately judge.

The teen flipped her night vision goggles down before her eyes and gave their surroundings a careful examination.

_Let's see, we're maybe one hundred yards back from a two-lane blacktop road. No vehicles in sight, moving or otherwise, as far as I can see and that's pretty far since this seems to be flat and open farm country. _

_Now, Ron said there was a small house over... there. Yeah, the only real cover for a mile or more, so he picked the right spot to hide the GJ car._

_And you don't have to be so surprised about that, Kim. The boy has been taking care of business all weekend. You'd be dead about five times over, if that wasn't the case. _

_Of course I'm still going to give him all kinds of grief about that 'data thingy', whatever that was. I know it's immature but there are certain conventions that come with the dating sitch and..._

_Dating? Okay, a couple of hitches here, starting with the fact that it isn't really dating unless and until both parties say that's what it is. _

_Anyway, shouldn't we have moved past the whole teasing is how boys and girls show they like each other thing before we got to high school? Probably, and we most likely would have if we both weren't so late to enter the dating game. _

_Just as well I guess, because we kinda suck at it. Ron tried teasing me once on Friday, but never after that so it's obvious he doesn't even know what that symbolizes. _

_Doesn't know or he does know and is trying to send me a message?_

"Kim?"

She started violently which sent a new stab of pain through her bruised shoulder.

But before she could reply verbally Ron added, "Is it all clear or not?"

"I-Uh-Yes. Come on."

Kim was aware of his curious scrutiny of her but she devoted herself to giving the vicinity a thorough appraisal.

The house, which at closer examination seemed to be more of a dilapidated shack, was deserted but mercifully the Global Justice vehicle was still parked behind it.

Kim looked over the car's interior carefully, and after assuring herself there was nothing at hand that their prisoner could use in an attempt to escape, she opened the passenger side rear door.

"Have a seat, Amy. We'll take off in a minute."

The teen closed the door as quietly as she could and turned back to Ron.

"What?" she asked, at the sight of his broad grin.

"Admit it, KP. Even you, the queen of the optimists, must have wondered a couple of times if we'd really manage to pull this one off."

Out of habit she almost replied, "No big." _But this is the one person, the only person in the entire world that you don't have to pretend with. _

She cleared her throat softly. "Forget the mission, Ron. I wasn't even sure if either of us was gonna make it to voting age."

His smile disappeared and he nodded gravely. "We are definitely overdrawn at the Bank of Luck. So, what do we do now?"

"Well, since we can't get GJ to come to us for the prisoner pickup, we'll go to them."

"Meaning the surveillance team back in Stars Hollow?"

"Yeah. We have to pick up our stuff from the Inn anyway." _And we have the use of Room Four until checkout time which is still hours away._

Kim started once again when she realized Ron was eying her speculatively. "Now what?"

"I, ah, had an idea."

"Yeah? Let's hear it." _It's got to be a lot more responsible, and less graphic, than what just popped into my head. _

"Well, I know your parents are eager for us get back home as quick-"

"_Our _parents," she corrected.

"Umm, sure. But, hey, this car has to get back to New York one way or another, so how about if we offer to drive it down ourselves?"

That sounds like an excellent idea. While we're in town we might as well hit that fancy Bueno Nacho on 42nd Street. Y'know the one with waiters and silverware that's actually... silver."

"Sounds cool. And isn't the New York Club Banana the one with the big discount section down in the basement?"

"That's right, it is. Which is cool since I have a few new holes in my wardrobe I need to see about filling because of this weekend, don't I?"

"In more ways than one, KP."

"Okay, then. Sounds like a date." She saw his eyes widen in surprise and there was a sudden tightening in her chest. "Ahh, a date on the calendar we won't soon forget, that's for sure."

"Which ties in with the whole Memorial Day thing," he mumbled, turning his face away from her.

An oppressive silence fell over the two teens. Kim racked her brain in search of the right words to break through the barrier that seemed to have sprung up out of nowhere but nothing seemed to fit.

_Okay, _she thought bitterly. _Time to cue up the crickets._

Then she became aware there actually was something just on the threshold of audibility. At first it sounded like ocean waves crashing onto a far away beach. She turned her head in different directions until determining where the noise was coming from, and after a long moment of intense concentration, she knew.

"I hear helicopters. Lots of 'em."

Ron put his hand to the back of his neck. "That doesn't _have_ to be bad, right?"

"Ordinarily, no. I'd welcome it, in fact. But, uh... Hey, you're the one who said that our luck, good luck anyway, was all used up this weekend."

"Since when do you believe in luck?" he demanded.

"I don't. But I do believe in being prepared for different contingencies."

"Okay, so if it's more bad guys out there, what do we do?"

"Depends," said Kim, adjusting the magnification setting on her night glasses and looking up at the sky again.

"Depends on what?"

"On whether they can electronically track us or not."

"How do we find that out?"

"The flight path of the choppers will tell us."

"Okay, I get it. If they're flying all over the place, zigging and zagging, then that means a visual search. Which would be a lot easier to avoid."

"Right."

"So, ah, what are the 'copters doing?"

She met his gaze again. "Coming right at us."

"Ohhhhh-kay. Ah, KP, I know that retreat isn't usually a part of the Possible playbook, but just this once... "

She looked from Ron, to Amy, to the helicopters, then back at him again. "They're moving too fast and there's no good cover around. Let's, um, take a look in the trunk."

Alarm showed on his face, but before he could speak the cell phone in his pocket started to ring.

Ron pulled the device into view and considered the display panel for a long moment. A very long moment.

"Well?" she asked irritably.

He slowly twisted his wrist until the front of the phone was facing toward her.

Kim held her breath and leaned forward to see that the call was from 'Aunt Betty'.

"Congrats, KP. Another win for the team."

He handed her the phone and she turned away so he wouldn't see the idiotic grin on her face. "Hello?"

"Miss Possible?"

"Speaking."

"Agent Kuryakin here," said an accented voice. "If you were wondering about those approaching helicopters, they're ours."

"Right. Thanks for clarifying that. We have a prisoner to turn over to you. Should we move to a new location?"

"Negative, Miss Possible. Your current position will be fine."

There were four Global Justice choppers in all, but three of them held to an altitude of one thousand feet and circled the area. The lead 'copter, despite being considerably larger than the others, was landed right on the roadway. Unlike most GJ aircraft, this one had an all-black paint job.

As soon as it's landing gear touched pavement, two full platoons of well armed soldiers started to jump from the ship and take up fire positions around the landing site.

Ron had to almost shout to be heard over the roar of the chopper's engine. "Okay, this is why I'm going to avoid the whole work for a living thing as long as I can. So I won't get upset about tax dollars being wasted on overkill maneuvers like this."

Longstanding habit prompted Kim to give him a scathing look, but inwardly she had to agree that this was indeed an excessive demonstration of force. She had pulled a scrunchie from one of the compartments of her equipment belt and was gathering up her wildly whipping hair when she noticed a group of half a dozen GJ personnel moving purposely toward their position.

She recognized most of them by sight, but could only supply a name for one.

"Deputy Director Spode, this _is_ an honor."

Ron noted the less than exuberant tone in her statement and gave her a quick look before his attention returned to the tall, mustached man Kim had addressed.

Like everyone else who had emerged from the helicopter, Roderick Spode wore a GJ field uniform, but his had a few special alterations. Instead of boots he had starkly white tennis shoes on, and the zipper pull for his bodysuit was down sternum low, the better to shown off a hairy chest.

He stepped to within a yard of Kim, stared down at the teen for several seconds, then gestured to her left.

"Amy Hall, I presume." There was a drawl to his words at odds with the Oxbridge accent.

The redhead nodded once, her eyes never leaving his.

Spode snapped his fingers and a soldier took each of Amy's arms and led her toward the chopper.

"You have managed to successfully complete _your_ assignment, Miss Possible. And I'm just about to fulfill my own orders here, as well."

Kim hesitated, torn between curiosity and the desire to keep her interactions with him to a minimum. Finally she was compelled to ask, "And exactly what orders would those be?"

"You've been out of touch with Global Justice for a few hours now, I believe."

"That's right, but it wasn't by choice."

"There have been some new developments back at HQ."

"Uh huh. Do we get to hear about them?"

"Yes. They will be of particular concern to you."

His continuing failure to elaborate caused Kim to seethe inwardly. _If he knew what kind of night I've had, he'd think twice about provoking me like this. _"Would that be anytime soon?"

"Perhaps," was the cryptic reply.

She was aware of a subtle head shake from Ron silently warning her to stay calm, but instead Kim gave in to anger. "You'd like to get in a bit more posturing first, though? Satisfy your pathetic need for people to pay attention to you?"

A humorless smile came to his thin lips. "Very well then, we'll make it now."

He walked over to a hard-faced woman holding what looked like a short-barreled shotgun. Spode turned back to Kim, although his words were directed to the gun wielder. "Shoot them both," he said in a conversational tone. "But do get her first."

* * *

(More authors' notes:

I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing this story: **CajunBear73, DrBeat, Louis Mielke, keth1, ScareGlow, screaming phoenix, jlgreen, melissaeverlasting, Comet Moon, rebafan4ever, motorized-sasquatch, spectre666, Yankee Bard, daywalker82, MrDrP, Joe Stoppinghem, Pojko, eckles, nutshak, Stubbs101, wopr, RobinofYJ, ShadowBlade989, Mr. Wizard, tom bourassa, David R. Genrich, HecatonchirestLM, The defenastrator, TymofeY, Aotsfan, Wushu, Gwendolin Sparrow, Vaapad, BeeKay84, Dark Lady of the Sith, noncynic, dataweaver, babbitrulez, Laura Crossing, , NakedMoleDogg, xyzisme, **and** waveform**. Thanks also to the folks who read and chose not to review.

The Agent Kuryakin mentioned so briefly here appears to be related to one of the top operatives of the Cold War era espionage agency known as U.N.C.L.E. which later evolved into Global Justice. Nana Possible's role in the U.N.C.L.E. organization will be explored in a future project of mine.

Roderick Spode is, indirectly, borrowed from the writings of P. G. Wodehouse.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All three characters are used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	20. Getting Closer

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**20. Getting Closer**

Monday Morning:

_Okay, I don't think I'll be mentioning this to the parents any time soon, but I'm starting to get used to waking up next to Ron. Yeah, the only surprise here is the fact that I'm waking up at all. _

Kim Possible got to a sitting position and ran her hands over her torso and thighs.

_I'm all right. I don't know what they shot me with, but it obviously wasn't a lethal weapon. Although believing it was made for the longest few seconds of my life. And I can't even imagine what Ron went through watching me collapse... _

She looked down at her best friend who was curled up in something close to a fetal position. His chest rose and fell with a slow regularity, and because his head was tilted over toward one shoulder, she could actually see the slight flutter of the pulse at his neck.

_I'm sure it would be more comfortable if he could stretch out, but that doesn't seem to be an option right now. _

The two teens were on the inside of a sphere perhaps six feet across. Its walls were a pearlescent silvery gray that showed no hint of an opening.

Kim's gloves and shoes had been removed, as had her backpack and equipment belt. However she still went through every pocket of her cargo pants - eleven in all - in the hope that something, anything, had been overlooked.

_Nope. They got it all, including a bunch of stuff that no one, no matter how dense they might be, could possibly confuse with either a weapon or an escape tool. _

The realization that someone, maybe several someones, had searched her clothing while she was unconscious made her teeth clench in suppressed rage. After half a minute or so, however, Kim was distracted by Ron's stirrings.

She thought he was waking up but realized he was actually trying to shift himself into a less confining position.

_Just not gonna happen. The sides of our new 'accommodations' are too steep, so we just keep sliding down to the bottom to push against each other. Still, I can help him a little bit. _

Kim gently maneuvered the teen from his side to his back, and then placed his arms behind his head to serve as a sort of pillow.

Discomfort seemed to leave his features after that, although Kim had to keep her own head bent over because of the slope of the wall she was pressed up against. Giving him more of their limited space meant less for herself.

She stared down at his face again and saw there was small sparkle of saliva at one corner of his mouth.

_He once told me with complete seriousness that there was a direct link between the amount of drool you produced and how restful your sleep was. _

_You are a goofball with a capital goo, _she thought as a faint smile came to her lips_. _

Her hand drifted over to brush several rebellious strands of blonde hair from his forehead, but of course everything moved right back into their natural unkempt state when she finished.

_How much sleep did you get last night, anyway? Let's see, I bet they told you right away when my cell phone went dead, and you still forced yourself to stay at the Inn until the security team showed up. Then you went off looking for me and while you were doing that, Global Justice stopped picking up. That meant you had to convince local law enforcement of who you were and why they should devote the manpower to help you search for me. Somehow you managed to accomplish that even though they couldn't contact GJ to confirm your story. _

_So total sleep time since I saw you last? I'm guessing zero. _

After another long moment of contemplation, Kim found herself remembering the conversation that followed locking Amy inside the Global Justice car.

_The New York plans had sounded wonderful. It would have been a fantastic day, maybe the best outing we've ever had, and that's saying a lot. But something had to screw it up._

_No, not something. Someone. You, Possible. You and your big mouth. _

_'Okay, then. Sounds like a date... Ahh, a date on the calendar we won't soon forget, that's for sure.'_

_Of all the insipid drivel that I've been responsible for this weekend, that bit takes top prize. _

_Why, why did you feel the need to backpedal there? What was there to be afraid of? It was Ron you were talking to, not any of that small army of boys who see you as a freak or, at best, a curiosity. _

_Ron would never kick you to the curb like that. The good, the bad, he's seen it all, and he accepts it. The boy has unconditional... like for you. _

_So just look him right in the eye and tell him, yeah, you know Ron, we're gonna straighten out this business with Spode, and then we're gonna go to New York and we're gonna hangout together and we're gonna have a great time like we always do. Except we're just gonna go ahead and call it a date. _

_And he'd say... _

_Well, that's the problem here; I just don't know. To borrow something Ron said to me earlier, this is completely new territory for us. He wouldn't be cruel about it, but happy? _

_Well, maybe I'm not sure, but Mom, the smartest woman I know, was pretty certain about how a conversation on dating would go. I think she warned me not to mention the 'D' word while we were away from home because she thought as soon as I did, it would be Kim and Ron in a lip-lock like the two of us were wearing six Moodulators a piece. _

_Moodulators..._

Suddenly her stomach seemed to do a flip inside of her and she knocked the back of her head against the sphere by attempting to straighten up.

_Here's the final proof that this mission has been one for the record books. It actually caused me to forget, or maybe repress something that had been in my thoughts almost constantly for three straight weeks. The psychological kick to the head that came before all the physical ones I've gotten over the course of this weekend. The reason I've been doing all the reevaluating about how boys see me. _

_Think back earlier this month, Kim. You asked Ron to the Middleton Days Festival as your date but he bailed on you before we even made it to the dance. Gave you a one way ticket to Dump City. And it all happened before he ever knew there was such a thing as a Moodulator. _

* * *

When Ron's eyes finally fluttered open he stared up at Kim rather blankly for several seconds, then turned his head to the left and right to consider their surroundings. His gaze returned to her and he murmured, "Never doubted you'd end up here, KP. Wasn't quite so sure about me, though."

She had to consider his words for a moment before comprehension dawned. "Okay, speaking for myself, I'm not finding this sitch all that _heavenly_."

"Well, I _was_ expecting a little more legroom... "

"Watch your head," she warned as he moved to a sitting position.

Ron touched the smooth inner surface of the sphere with his fingertips, then pounded on it with a fist. "Feels like it's completely solid outside there. Like we're inside a huge block of plastic. Is - is the air going to give out soon?"

"Dial down the drama, Ron. This is a containment field. You can't see outside the walls but air still goes through. Light, too, obviously, since it isn't pitch black in here."

"Okay, now I get the where. So how about filling me in on the why."

She looked away from him for a moment and exhaled slowly. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe not to you or me, but for somebody like Spode, revenge is-"

"No, Ron. No. Spode's a bureaucrat, not a super-villain. I agree he doesn't like either one of us, anymore than we like him. But still, he wouldn't pull this sort of thing unless he could justify it after the fact. I mean think about it. There were dozens of witnesses to our capture back there. And at least that many more in the helicopters hovering above. He'd never be able to keep it a secret."

"You've got the why not covered and smothered. Still waiting on the why."

"I thought we had already established that I don't know," she snapped. _Easy, Possible. Don't let emotional considerations drift over into problem solving mode. _Kim patted her front pants pockets and said in a calmer voice, "They've cleaned me out here, but maybe something got overlooked in yours."

He shrugged and started checking his pants. Because of the narrow space they occupied, he had to lean against her to reach into his less accessible pockets, but she held her breath and said nothing.

_Now if we were boyfriend and girlfriend we could appreciate the close quarters a lot more, but Ron is obviously looking for something that I just don't have to offer. _

_So now it's like I'm six again, boo-hooing that Bonnie got a two wheeler before me? Stop putting thoughts into Ron's head. The truth is that you don't know why he broke it off before. No clue at all. He never really explained and you never asked. Both of you were so desperately eager to put the whole embarrassing business behind you._

_Anyway, whatever was going through his head back then means nothing now. This weekend changed things. It changed everything. I'm never gonna see the status quo quite the same way again. _

Suddenly aware of his eyes on her, she asked, "Did you search yet?"

"Ah, twice now. There's nothing in any of them. What next?"

She reached out and rapped her knuckles against the nearest part of the sphere wall. "These things have weak points. Places where they can be broken. We're going to keep searching until we find the right spot for this one."

At Kim's direction, they placed their backs against one another and locked their arms together. "Now plant your feet against the sides and push out with your legs. Push. Push!"

But after perhaps ten seconds Kim was thrown backwards, colliding with Ron who collided with the side of the sphere.

"Ah, sorry. My shoes slipped."

"If they don't have enough traction, take 'em and your socks off," she said without turning around. "Now, again."

They linked arms and tried once more, but the end result was the same.

Pushing herself off of Ron, she said, "I thought you were going to take your shoes-"

When she turned to face him, Kim noticed he was holding a hand up close to his face to catch the drops of blood trickling down from his nose.

"Wha- what happened?"

He seemed to force himself to meet her gaze. "My shoes didn't slip, okay? I just don't have the... I'm not as strong... My legs gave out and the walls didn't."

She put a hand on each of his shoulders and gently pulled him toward her. "Put your head down on my lap. That's right."

With his upper body as close to horizontal as the dimensions of their prison would allow, the flow of blood began to stop almost immediately, but there were still smears of crimson on his upper lip and chin.

"I have, _had_, a handkerchief in my pocket, but of course that's gone now, just like everything else."

She tugged down on her sleeve and used the wadded fabric to gently wipe away the blood on his face.

"Well, that's a little better but-no, no you don't."

Ron had started to rise up but Kim pushed him back into place against her.

"You stay put. No sitting up until we're sure you've stopped bleeding."

With his eyes raised to hers, he gave a small nod. She watched him take a few deep breaths and remarked, "Your chest seems better now."

"Uh huh."

"Rory Gilmore helped you take the pills?"

"Just the way you asked her to, yeah."

"That the last time you ate?"

"No, they fed me at the police station."

"Good."

"But the last time for you was back at the Inn, wasn't it?"

"Uhh, yeah, I guess. But hey, no prob." _Okay, stomach, strict orders here: no growling until further notice!_

More time passed in silence before she added, "Anyway, I slept last night and you didn't so that makes us even."

"Was that before or after you got all the new bruises?"

"Ahh... after."

She saw his knuckles whiten for a moment. "Tell me about it," Ron said, in a tone that made it clear that wasn't a request.

"Let's just call it a therapy session between me and a few of Amy's creations. I helped them work out some issues they have with single species lifeforms."

He saw through her flippant words and she had to press down on his shoulders again to prevent him from sitting up. "And you let them just walk away?"

"You don't know the whole story, Ron."

"I think I know all I need to!"

"Okay, let's just agree to disagree about that. I still think I had an easier time last night than you did."

His eyes moved away from hers and he lifted one shoulder slightly.

She went on. "Maybe I'm just flattering myself here, but I'm gonna say that last night was rough for you. Really rough. And I mean even before Spode's little surprise."

He shut his eyes tightly and gave a quick nod.

She brushed his hair back from his forehead again. "What did you do when GJ seemed to drop off the map?"

"You mean beside freak out?"

Kim put her palms on either side of his head. "Yeah, after that."

"Drove over to Woodbury. Remember, GJ was trying to catch up with their retired police chief to see if he knew anything about a young Amy."

"The one who's living in Florida now?"

"Yeah."

"Huh. I had actually forgotten about Florida for awhile there." She started to gently caress his temples with both forefingers and he gave a slight shudder. "Are you cold?"

"N-no."

"Okay then, because I think it's actually kinda warm in here. But, go on."

"Well, uh, the old chief did remember Amy and the place where she used to do her 'science projects' but the building had been torn down about ten years ago."

"And the relatives she stayed with back then?"

"Turned out they weren't relations at all, just friends of Amy's parents. Anyway, they're dead now."

She started tracing circles in his hair with a fingernail and he shifted the position of his legs. "So all that good news brought on the premiere of Freak Out: The Sequel?"

"Oh, yeah. So after they got tired of me beating my head against the wall-"

"I hope you're speaking figuratively."

"No, no, just my head. Then they let me play on one of their, ah... "

"On a 'Data thingy' ?"

"Yeeeees."

She gave him a playful nudge with one hand and then the other. "I _know _what happened after that, Destructo-Boy."

He made a derisive grunt. "Can't say I'm all that impressed with the caliber of staff to be found in the Connecticut fast food industry. I know I told _my _staff over and over again, don't let the drinks leave the restaurant until the lids are properly secured!" He made a sour face and added, "But we're talkin' Cow 'N' Chow here, so really, what do you expect?"

"All right, I know I'm a captive audience member and all, but still... "

"Oh. Yeah. So anyway, while their computer was still running I used it to uncovered a very valuable clue. Something that let me crack this case wide open."

"Wow. Ron, that's awesome. Tell me already."

Even from a prostrate position, it seemed his chest puffed out a little. "Woodbury has a Fromage Road."

"Uh huh. Okay."

"KP, fromage is the French word for-"

"Cheese, I know. Not that hard for me to recall the only French word you ever memorized."

He lifted a hand palm up, as if presenting a priceless jewel. "Well, there you go! I knew it_ had_ to mean something."

"Oh, it meant something, all right," Kim began. Then she looked down into his shining eyes, and the grin that was beginning to appear.

_Possible, just this once, even if it means severe internal injuries, you are going to bite back the sarcastic response and give him his moment of glory._

"So that barn, or factory, or whatever it was where you found me, that was on Fromage Road?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

"You know... I... " _Do it! commanded a voice within her. You've given Wade more compliments in three years than Ron has gotten from you in thirteen. Same goes for Monique, and you've known her for less than two years. Why don't you start treating him like he really _is_ your best friend?_

"Ron, I should be able to tell you, without even thinking about it, how many times you've saved my life over the years. But I can't. I lost track a long time ago.

"But I do know there was never a time when I felt closer to... dying than I did back on Fromage Road. And then you showed up at exactly the right time, doing exactly the right thing, and uh, well, I-I think you could even give hero lessons to the Fearless Ferret."

In a strained tone he answered, "No big, KP. All in a night's work." He turned away but she still couldn't miss him wiping one eye and then the other in a covert manner.

_Never. _

_Never, never, never. Not Josh, not Hirotaka, not Bobby (ugh), not even that super nova hottie in St. Louis. _

_I never wanted to kiss a guy as much as right now._

_So just do it. Forget words, or plans, or considerations of the future. Take him by surprise and he'll kiss you back just like that first time with the Moodulator. _

_Oh, man, that was something. Every bit as electrical as anything Roku could dish out but with intense pleasure instead of pain._

_I don't know what's holding Ron back, what makes him think that the two of us couldn't be good together. I mean sure, in a straight out beauty contest I'm not gonna come out too well against Madeline, or Louise, or, well, plenty of other girls. But hey, I've always been the shallow one here, not Ron. _

_Even though he's a guy, I think Ron understands that in the long run, it's the emotional connection that matters most between two people. No matter how many girls, no women, I eventually find out he's been with, he knows that, right?_

_Right?_

_You just said it yourself, Kim. He's a guy. Maybe he doesn't know. So explain to him. Show and tell time. Give him a demonstration he won't ever forget. _

She shifted her position a bit and slowly lowered her face toward his. A lock of her hair touched his cheek and he looked up. He opened his mouth, but whether it was to speak, or for some other reason, she couldn't say.

_Give him a demonstration. _

_A demonstration. _

Kim gasped and drew her head back sharply, wincing as she struck the top of the sphere for the second time.

_They wouldn't... Not even Spode would pull something like that..._

Ron got to his knees. "What's wrong?"

Kim repeated the question bitterly. "How about the fact that we, you and me, only came out to Connecticut to do a favor for Global Justice. They asked _us_, not the other way around. We gave up our time, it cost us money, and oh, yeah, we got punched and kicked and shot at, too. Over and over again. And what happens when it's all finished? After repeatedly putting our lives on the line until Amy is back in custody again? Our reward is to be tossed into a containment field just like Whateley!"

"Okay," said Ron, after some time had passed in silence. "As rants go, that was pretty justified. Anything else to add?"

_Yeah. One more little thing. A feeling, a nasty, nasty suspicion that we're under observation here. That GJ has been watching everything we say and do since they put us in here. _

_Somebody is gonna end up very sorry they did this..._

_But now that I think about it, the watching thing isn't all that likely after all. I couldn't see any part of Whateley after they closed him up inside of one of these things. Besides, didn't I hear the Tweebs once brag about the improvements they'd made to the standard GJ containment field, including giving it transparent walls?_

The teen felt herself relax slightly. _This is still a pretty rotten way of treating us here, ah, to put it mildly, but the not-spying thing is a definite relief. _

She met his gaze again and managed a rueful smile. "Well, uh, what grade does the expert give me for that one?"

Ron shrugged. "Intensity was good, y'know, for a beginner. Gotta work on your endurance, though." He waved at the encompassing walls around them. "A twist of fate like this should have been good for a rant of at least a full thirty seconds."

"Well, uh, in my own defense, I've been a bit preoccupied this weekend."

"Guns, goblins, and Grandpa Whateley? There was all that but-"

"No, Ron. I'm talking about something else. Something I learned about back on Saturday."

She started to fiddle with a pocket flap of her pants. _I can't believe I'm actually finally bringing this up! Or am I? Commit or ditch? Commit or ditch? Would it make it easier or harder to start up a conversation about us dating? _

_Don't have an answer for that question. But I do know we've had one mystery piled on top of another all weekend long and I feel like I'm about to drown in an ocean of uncertainty. Time to get my head back slightly above water again._

In a low voice that somehow sounded foreign in her own ears she asked, "Ron, do you remember that when Rory Gilmore first met you, she said you seemed familiar to her?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we finally figured out why that was."

"She's a closet fan of American Star Maker?"

Kim returned his smile but it faded quickly. "No. Actually you two seem to have some... acquaintances in common."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh." Her voice had dropped to near inaudibility now. "So, umm, Ron? What exactly happened with you during Spring Break?"

"Okay, KP, I think it's about three months too early for you to be having a senior moment, but I'll play along. We spent the week rescuing all those presidents and prime ministers that the BeBes had replaced with robot doubles. A little adventure that your future biographers might want to call 'Around the World in Eighty Hours' ."

She shook her head. "Spring Break _last_ year, Ron. We were in Florida. And you made a couple of new friends. Their names were," she paused to lick dry lips. "Madeline and-"

"Louise," he supplied automatically.

Then his eyes became very large and he drew in his breath noisily.

_He's blushing! That didn't even happen when they showed Ron's Big Day! Man oh man, what did he do with those women?_

_Probably better you never find that out, _she told herself. Kim saw Ron had his hand, fist rather, tightly pressed against his forehead.

She murmured, "A part of me _had_ wondered if maybe Rory got the story mixed up, somehow."

Ron shifted his position so he wasn't facing directly toward her, and Kim felt certain that if not for their current confinement, he would be putting a lot more distance between them.

In a voice that sounded like he was being strangled the teen said, "No. It's true."

"B-both of them?" His sudden look of extreme pain caused her to quickly add, "Ah, never mind. It doesn't matter." She took a deep breath. "Listen, Ron. I admit I was a little surprised to hear about... that. But I really am... It's not that big of a... Hey, it's not my place to judge, okay?"

His head sank lower onto his chest and his body seemed to sag still further, but he said nothing else.

She reached a hand out tentatively. He stiffened at her touch and she almost drew back, before applying enough pressure on his shoulder to force him to a prone position.

"Come on. We don't know what we'll be facing when we get finally get sprung from here. You need to rest now."

She stared at the back of his head for what seemed like hours. _People have been telling me my entire life how unnatural it is for a guy and a girl to be best friends but I always just blew it off. Now, maybe I wonder if there really is this divide, a mindset, that can never crossed completely. _

* * *

More time past, although how much it was of course impossible to say. Kim had eventually laid down next to Ron - no other position was possible. She might have slept a little; certainly she reached a point of reduced wakefulness where, mercifully, her brain stopped torturing her with unanswered questions.

But when the sphere suddenly disappeared, she sprang to her feet instantly and only just stopped herself from punching the Secretary General of the United Nations in the face.

"Miss Possible, please!"

She considered the slightly built, bespectacled middle aged man with East Asian features for a moment, then let go of his suit lapel and lowered her fist.

"Ron, over here by me," she said in an undertone, as her eyes swept their surroundings. They seemed to be in some type of conference room and the Secretary General was one of four men and women present dressed in business clothes. There were also four people wearing Global Justice uniforms, including Roderick Spode, but none of them was brandishing a weapon at the moment.

The Secretary General said in his slightly stilted English, "Miss Possible, I am so very, very sorry for the misunderstanding here. My instructions were for you to be_ requested _to come to New York, not be forced to do so."

Kim joined him in glaring at Spode for a moment, then turned her attention back to the Secretary General. "Why? Why was I, why were we, brought here at all? What's going on?"

An apologetic look came over the man's face. "A situation has come up."

Kim made an impatient gesture.

The man adjusted his necktie. "About twenty-four hours ago Global Justice agents captured a number of... devices that had, uh, have, the capability of causing great death and destruction."

_He must mean the thing Agent Tagore called a 'Doomsday machine' that they captured from WEE. Better keep that info to myself though, in case he wasn't supposed to spill._

"So if it's in GJ hands, what's the problem?" Her eyes took in the expressions of several different people in the room. "Because you've lost it, haven't you?"

The Secretary General frowned and nodded. "It would be more accurate to say we no longer control the devices."

"Some villain has them now and is threatening to use them."

"That's true as far as it goes."

_So you all screw up and I, we, get to clean up the freakin' mess. Again._

The teen looked over to Ron and he shook his head sadly.

Kim let out a rather theatrical sigh. "Who are we dealing with here? Drakken? Dementor?"

Spode decided it was time to finally join the conversation. "Neither of them, Miss Possible. And not Gemini, either."

"Then who?"

The Deputy Director indulged his love of dramatic pauses once more before replying. "The individual in question goes by the name of Gideon Whateley. And he has promised nothing less than the end of the world if we do not hand you over to him in the very near future."

* * *

(More author's notes:

The Roderick Spode featured in this story is, according to me anyway, the grandson and namesake of a character who appears in the writings of P. G. Wodehouse.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All three characters are used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	21. Bitter Pill

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**21. Bitter Pill**

Monday Morning:

_Don't blow up here, _Kim Possible warned herself. _Don't give in to the anger. It won't change anything_ _and it certainly won't make Whateley go away. _

She looked toward Roderick Spode again. He stood with arms crossed, the sleeves of his jumpsuit rolled up to better display his corded muscles. _Probably specially tailored to let him do that._ His intent gaze was upon her, no doubt hoping for some indication of fear on her part. Giving that up as a wasted effort, his eyes traveled down to her bare feet and then he gave what she took to be a mocking half smile. Restraint instantly forgotten, the redhead started toward him propelled by a new flaring of rage.

Kim moved quickly but her best friend still managed to grab hold of the back of her crop top before she could step past him. The teen had to stop in place as soon as he did so or else her collar would be pulled aside and the heavy bruises on her shoulder exposed.

"So, lemme see if I got this right, here," said Ron Stoppable, as he patted her back in an inconspicuous manner. "We capture Whateley and stop his fifty year long crime wave, which none of you _professionals_ ever figured out how to do. And then we hand him over to be held for his trial, but instead you let him get away and take some sorta blow-up-the-world gadget with him.

"Am I forgetting anything here?"

"Unfortunately, your summary is painfully accurate," replied the Secretary General of the United Nations. "The only correction I could make is that this, uh, Mr. Whateley hasn't actually escaped in a literal sense. He remains here in, or at least below, the headquarters complex of Global Justice."

"But?" prompted Ron.

"Well, as long as he has control of the device, moving against him is... problematic."

The UN leader looked at Spode, who in turn glanced over to a chunky middle aged woman wearing a white lab coat over her GJ uniform. "Dr. Bergen," he said in a tone that clearly commanded rather than requested she speak.

Her eyes darted about the room nervously before clearing her throat and saying in a faint Scandinavian accent, "Actually, Mr. Secretary, there isn't just one device. Forty-seven were recovered in the raids against WEE."

Kim made a sour face. "And Whateley has them all now?"

"Y-yes," conceded the woman.

"All right, what do they do?"

"The machines emit a series of hypersonic pulses that affect the atomic structure of certain elements."

"And not for the better, I take it?"

"No. All metals are weakened to a certain extent, but iron and steel most of all. They are reduced to the tensile strength of... Well, nothing. Metal exposed to this process takes on the consistency of pudding."

"Which means most New York skyscrapers would come tumbling down," said Kim.

"Yes. Some immediately, others with the first strong wind."

"What's the range of one of these machines?"

"About ten miles." The scientist tapped a pen anxiously against her thigh. "Enough to cover a good part of New York City, as well as some highly populated sections of New Jersey."

Kim asked, "What about a mass evacuation?"

No one answered verbally, but several people exchanged furtive looks.

"No. Don't do it. Do _not_tell me that the evac was vetoed because today's a holiday and the City needs the tourist revenue."

Dr. Bergen said, "It's not as simple as that, Miss Possible. It's true that there are a number of parades scheduled throughout the City, and that makes the logistics of evacuation even more difficult than would ordinarily be the case."

"Go on," said Kim.

"But the greater sticking point here is where do we move the people to."

"Beyond the ten mile range of the machines!"

"Ten miles is the range of one device. One out of forty-seven."

The teen dropped her voice to a whisper. "You-you mean the effects are cumulative?"

"Yes," answered the woman. "Although we don't have enough data yet to determine the exact ratio of enhancement when the machines work in conjunction.

"Gemini certainly never intended them to be used together. I mean, he wants to rule the world, not destroy it. WEE had them spread out with one or two in each of the world's largest population centers.

"Which would certainly have resulted in the deaths of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people. But God help us, that's still better than the situation we are currently facing."

Kim and Ron exchanged looks again. The former asked, "Okay then, what exactly happens if he decides to use _all _of the machines at the same time?"

Dr. Bergen took a deep breath. "Computer analysis shows that the Earth's structural integrity would be compromised."

"But how?" asked Kim.

"Well, the crust, the outer layer of the Earth, only averages about 18 miles thick. Below that is the mantle, which makes up more than four-fifths of the volume of the planet."

"All right."

"And the mantle is almost ten percent iron. So within a matter of minutes after the machines are activated, our planet's surface would begin to collapse inwardly, and that in turn would result in a volcanic eruption greater than any in recorded history. The data is rather inconclusive about whether or not the Earth would actually be knocked out of orbit by the eruption, but either way, it would undeniably mean the end of all life on this planet."

It was Kim who finally broke the silence that came over the room. "You said Whateley is still here in the headquarters complex."

The Scandinavian woman thrust her hands into the pockets of her lab-coat. "In a sense, yes. You're aware, of course, that GJ HQ is located immediately below the United Nations Building. But it is a closely guarded secret that further underground, carved out of solid rock, is a specialized laboratory known as-"

"The Analysis Section," finished Kim. "The place where they bring so called super weapons to be dismantled."

Spode glared at her. "You're not supposed to know about that."

"Add that to the list of things that _shouldn't_ have happened this weekend," the teen snapped back. Her gaze swept the room again. "Speaking of which, why isn't the Director here now instead of you?"

"She has a very good reason for not being present," rumbled Spode. "She's dead."

This prompted another Global Justice scientist to speak for the first time. "We don't know that for certain! She's just missing."

Spode shrugged. "If you prefer to hold on to that belief."

Dr. Bergen gave her colleague what was unmistakably a warning look, then turned back to Kim. In low tones she said, "The Director headed down there when the trouble started but hasn't been heard from since."

Kim turned toward Ron. The teen didn't speak but something in her expression prompted him to move nearer and began to covertly stroke the back of her hair.

"Okay," he said. "Can somebody tell me why you'd ever put Whateley in the same place as those metal pudding thingies anyway?"

"They weren't that close to begin with," corrected Spode. "Originally they were on different levels of this complex, hundreds of yards apart."

"Then how did Whateley get from one place to another?"

"With inside help," announced the Deputy Director. "As is clearly shown by our internal surveillance cameras."

"Mind control," murmured Kim.

"But his ring is busted," protested Ron.

"Think back," said his best friend. "He didn't use that ring with me and I still, well... " She eyed the others guiltily for a moment. "I had uh, a little trouble. But you didn't, Ron. So _then_ he brought the ring into play. I think mind control is a natural ability for him. The ring is a tool to make it easier or stronger."

After a thoughtful pause she looked up again and asked of the room at large, "What are our options for getting at him?"

"Extremely limited," said Dr. Bergen. "The Analysis Section is heavily fortified. It was intended as a place to study, neutralize, and develop counter measures for dangerous technological devices captured from criminal or terrorist organizations. The area has its own air, water, food, and power supply. The only way in or out is through a single access tunnel, and the controls to open that tunnel are on the opposite side from us."

"Why would they ever locate an incredibly dangerous place like that right underneath New York City?"

"Well, Miss Possible, that was done for the same reason that Global Justice put a research facility underneath your own Middleton. So it would be close to the pool of scientists they hoped to recruit." She gave Spode a quick, sidelong glance. "GJ doesn't have the most competitive salary rates so they need to seek advantages in other areas... "

The woman let her breath out noisily before adding, "Obviously the original designers of the Analysis Section never dreamed of a scenario where Global Justice would have to break_ into _the facility, and that they would be opposed by other GJ personnel with full and complete knowledge of how to keep them out."

Ron considered this a moment, then asked, "So when he first escaped, Whateley knocked out your phone system?"

Spode blinked. "He did nothing like that. Policy calls for a total communication shutdown with the outside world whenever there is a security breach in the Headquarters complex."

The teen glowered at him. "And the people in the field doing GJ business? They just get to fend for themselves?"

Spode glanced quickly at the Secretary General. "Yes. Regulations are quite clear about that. There was certainly no time to conduct a case by case review of every field operation underway at that moment."

"And 'Regulations' also demanded that Ron and I be shot and caged like wild animals?" demanded Kim.

"I was carrying out my instructions to bring both of you-"

"No, Spode. The approved phrase in these situations is 'I was just following orders.' Yeah, ask Ron's grandmother about why that isn't-"

"Kim!"

The redhead was instantly silenced by the harshness in her best friend's voice. In a lower, more sullen tone she continued, "There must be some other way to get at this Analysis Section. Maybe the exhaust pipes for the generators down there?"

The Scandinavian woman shook her head. "The Section is powered by a pair of micro-fission generators."

"What about bypassing the tunnel and digging a new pathway down there?"

"Actually, we have requisitioned a pair of excavation machines from the Abner Perry Corporation. But still, the outer walls of the Section were designed to contain threats as diverse as a poison gas leak, a virulent bio-weapon, even a low yield nuclear explosion. And what keeps those threats in, also works to keep us out."

Kim asked, "How about that device we got from Dementor a while back? The teleportation module."

The woman took on an apologetic expression. "We switched to fiber optics as a way to prevent that type of intrusion threat."

_Yeah, and now when we desperately need some kind of slip up, suddenly GJ is super efficient._

Aloud Kim asked, "Have you spoken with DNAmy about Whateley? She'll know his weaknesses better than anyone."

"It was against my better judgement," said Spode. "But I have authorized her to have _supervised _access to a bio lab. However, even if she were to come up with something, there's no way to get it anywhere near Whateley."

"Why not?" demanded Ron. "He's spoiling for a rematch, so we'll just take it down with us."

Spode opened his mouth, eyed the teenager disdainfully, then jabbed a finger at Dr. Bergen.

She said, "The most sophisticated detection equipment on the planet is there at the entrance to the Analysis Section. Nothing known to the scientific community today could be brought in without them knowing it."

Ron looked from face to face before finally settling on the Secretary General. "So what _does _happen next? You just turn Kim over to Whateley and hope that makes him all peaceful?"

"No one is going to 'turn Kim over,' Mr. Stoppable."

"Got that right," muttered Ron.

The older man continued, "You both are free to leave at any time." The two best friends gave each other skeptical looks. "But, ah, if you _choose_ to remain, despite your earlier mistreatment, then we would be extremely grateful."

"Of course we're staying," said Kim, after getting an almost imperceptible nod from Ron. "And we'll do whatever is needed to stop Whateley."

"Thank you very much, Miss Possible. And you too, Mr. Stoppable." The man adjusted the way his glasses rested on his nose. "I wish we could be content with you two acting solely in an advisory capacity, but the situation is just too dire."

"And so... " began Kim.

"This Whateley person has been told that a Presidential Pardon is being arranged. Actually an... object is being rushed to our location as we speak. I am still unclear as to the exact nature of this device, but have been assured that it will allow us to, as you say, 'stop Whateley.' "

"However?" asked the redhead.

"Unfortunately, there will be a certain element of danger for the two of you."

"Meaning we have to go down to where Whateley is for the thing to work?"

"I'm afraid so."

"When?"

He glanced over to the closest wall clock. "No later than ninety-seven minutes from now."

Kim also considered the time. _That would make it 'High Noon' exactly. Looks like Uncle Slim's favorite movie has suddenly taken on a whole new significance for me._

* * *

A quarter of an hour later Kim and Ron were alone in the conference room. She zipped up her overnight bag and shrugged. "Looks like everything's here."

"Wow. What a relief that is. They didn't steal or lose our stuff bringing it down from Connecticut. I guess there's no worries for us after all."

She leaned against the edge of the table and started pulling on a pair of socks. "Chill, Ron. And leave the sarcasm for the experts, 'kay?"

"Kim, did you miss the part about Whateley being on the loose again? Or that getting revenge on you is his top priority right now."

"And what does he want revenge for? Me beating him. I did it once and I can, I _will, _do it again. And this time, you get to watch."

He locked eyes with her. "No big, huh?"

"Ahh... " _How can the same boy be so oblivious about some things and so insightful about others?_ "Well, maybe a medium."

"Yeah. Right. This isn't Frugal Lucre or the Chocolatier we're talking about here. I'm thinking Giddy is as tough as anybody you've ever faced before, maybe more."

She asked quietly, "So you don't think I can take him again?"

"Of course you can," he snapped. "But I, uhh... " He lowered his voice. "I just don't want you to get hurt doing it."

Kim nodded. "Well, there's the secret weapon as our ace in the hole. It's supposed to arrive any minute now."

"Yeah, but I'd feel better if it wasn't Spode's idea to use it."

"Because he hates you and me so much, he'd rather let Whateley destroy the world than give me the right weapon to get the job done?"

"I guess not."

Kim stood up so she could put on her equipment belt. "Okay, then. It's still more than an hour until... Show Time. So how about you head out on a food run? Bring it back here if you find anything. The cafeteria is on Level Four."

"Okay, KP. See you in a few."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Kim let out an anguished moan.

_She can't be dead. She just can't be. __It's a mistake. The Director is actually a prisoner of Whateley, or she's barricaded herself into some part of the Analysis Section where they can't get at her. _

_Or she's under his control now just like all of those other scientists... What if I have to go through Betty to get to Whateley? All the mind controlled GJ staff down there? Do I fight innocent people who aren't responsible for their actions, to serve the greater good?_

The teen rubbed her eyes for several seconds. _Y'know I was knocked unconscious twice last night. I shouldn't be this tired. Or this sore. _She inserted a hand inside her top and began to gently massage her shoulder. _Maybe I could put my head down on the table for a minute or two..._

_No. I need to look over the schematics of the Analysis Section they left for me, and the info on the GJ staff down there. Besides, if Ron doesn't get to sleep, why should I?_

She considered the stack of books and papers piled on the table corner for a moment, then stood up and walked over to the wall with a large glass rectangle in its center. When she spun a small plastic dial, the glass became transparent and she could look down into a large black-walled chamber illuminated by dozens of computer and television screens.

_The Situation Room. The place where Global Justice monitors crisises that have international consequences. Well, I guess this one qualifies. _

The floor of the SR was probably thirty feet below her current position, but she was still able to identify several individuals among the crowd.

_That's the Mayor of New York there. __And I see two, no, three different Senators. The Attorney General is on the big screen to the far right conferring with a knot of NYPD brass. _

Her eyes focused on another oversized monitor where an animated recreation of the world blowing up ran on a continuous loop. In front of the screen half a dozen scientists took turns pointing heatedly at the graphic and each other.

_All in all, I think I'd even rather watch "Captain Constellation." _

* * *

Nine minutes later Ron returned with three hamburgers and two cans of soda, all closing in on room temperature.

Kim took a bite and almost gagged. Putting a hand in front of her mouth she choked out, "Honey mustard _and_mayonnaise! Are you secretly working for Drakken?"

"Oh, you're very welcome, Miss Possible. It was no trouble at all."

"The, uh, cafeteria was closed, wasn't it?"

"Yep."

"And in the interest of plausible deniability I shouldn't ask where you actually did get them?"

He nodded as he chewed. "I'd like to believe they were supposed to be for Spode, but the world just isn't fair like that."

They ate without speaking for a while before Kim remarked, "But any burger is gonna come up short after you've had one of Luke Danes'."

"True."

"So what do you think the GJ team told the Gilmores when they collected our stuff?"

"Don't know. Are you going to try to stay in touch with Rory?"

"Well, I like her but... " _I know it would get on my nerves to spend a lot of time with someone so much more well read than I am or could ever hope to be. _"I'm not sure we could get past the age difference. She's got like five years on me."

"Right."

Kim set her burger down on the plate as soon as she reached the half-eaten stage. It was pushed across the tabletop. "You want?"

He slid it back toward her. "Not this time. You need to finish that."

She stared at him, closed her mouth, and stared some more.

_Man, what's next? He starts holding doors open for me? Chews with his mouth closed? Burns that red jersey he knows I hate? _

_Come to think of it, I've had him be my errand boy all weekend and he hasn't protested even once. In fact, he actually volunteered to carry my backpack a couple of times. Is he trying to tell _me _something?_

"Which soda?" Kim was asked.

"Orange."

He moved it in front of her. "I could try again to find some ice."

"Don't worry about it." She forced herself to take another bite and tried to ignore the way his eyes kept returning to the wall clock.

There was almost no sound at all when she opened the soda can. _Warm _and_ flat. Perfect. Still, anything to get the taste of this burger out of my mouth. _

More time passed in silence, or what would have been silence save for the slight scrape of their plates and the faint tink of their soda cans.

Kim realized she was now looking over at the clock just as frequently as he had been doing and she set the aluminum can down angrily. Pushing her plate away, Kim asked, "What do you say, _Dad_? Am I done?"

Ron considered the remnant of her burger and gave a solemn nod.

She stood up but kept her eyes on his. "Lunch sucked," he was told. "But I did need to eat _something_. And I do appreciate the effort."

"Okay. Where are you going?"

"Bathroom. Just be a minute."

She tried to be inconspicuous about pulling her toiletries bag out of her carry-on case although he probably still noticed.

The ladies room was only a short distance away, but even in that brief walk two different sets of GJ Agents ran past Kim. The teen entered the lavatory, retrieved her toothbrush and applied a generous amount of toothpaste to its bristles.

After a minute or more of involved effort, she felt that the bad taste in her mouth had been scoured away. Kim rinsed the brush and then stared at it thoughtfully.

_The last time I brushed was like fourteen or more hours ago back at the Dragonfly Inn. Ron was next to me and I put our toothbrushes side by side in the rack on the wall. But there was some strange feeling that came over me at the time that I didn't understand. Like I forgot to do something. _

The teen gasped audibly. _How many times have I groaned at the sappy way Mom and Dad always have to make the handles of their toothbrushes rest against each other when they're not being used? I call it unhygienic but they say it was romantic, something I would understand when I met the one true love of my life. _

_Except maybe I already have..._

_'Ron is a friend who happens to be a boy. There's a big difference between that and a boyfriend.'_

_It seems like a million years ago I said that, but it was just Friday afternoon. So in less than three days time we've gone from never to... forever?_

_My head is going to explode if I don't talk to him about this! Now! I have to know what he's thinking. _

_But there's the promise I made to Mom. So get creative. Think of a loophole. _

_I know she only wanted the 'Don't ask, don't tell' restriction because she thought if we both owned up to our hidden feelings, especially so far from home and away from parental supervision, it would immediately kick off a hot and heavy make out session that we weren't emotionally ready to deal with just yet. But Mom couldn't have foreseen the Whateley sitch. Just knowing I get to meet him again in the near future has got to be the ultimate mood killer. _

_In fact, if I've got any hope at all of taking him down for a second time, (without any of Wade's gadgets!) it will only be because there is nothing strange going on between Ron and me that could impede our teamwork. _

_Mom has to realize that... that... Oh, no. Oh, no, she wasn't worried about _that _possibility, was she? Does she know something I don't? Maybe the real reason Mom didn't want us to have 'the talk' while on a mission was because she was sure Ron just didn't feel _that _way about me. She knew I'd take it badly and then there'd be this resentment and it would mess up our ability to work together. And if our coordination is off, the bad guy's half way __to victory right at the start. _

_Okay, get a grip here, Kim. Yes, Mom is the smartest woman you've ever met or ever will meet, but even she doesn't know Ron like you do. I am positive he has some kind of feelings for me that go beyond just friendship. He doesn't come out and say it in so many words, but there are clues and hints that show what's really there beneath the surface. And not just from this weekend either. _

_All right, but if you're the expert on all things Ronnish, how come forty-eight hours ago you would have practically bet your life on the belief that he was a... had never been with a woman before, let alone two of them?_

* * *

Some minutes passed before Kim left the lavatory and when she returned to the conference room, Spode and a balding, fit looking man who seemed slightly familiar were the only occupants.

"Where's Ron?" she demanded without preamble.

"I asked him to leave," said the Deputy Director. "We need to discuss a few things in private."

Kim yanked open the door. "I decide what he needs to hear, not you." She looked down both sides of the corridor but her best friend was not in view. The teen had drawn in breath so she could call out to him when the other man informed her, "Miss Possible, I have the device with me."

Kim hesitated, then stepped back inside the room and eyed the newcomer.

"This is Daniel Fowler, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York City Office of the FBI," explained Spode.

Kim inclined her head toward him slightly.

"That's my current position, Miss Possible. But three years ago I was with the HRT, the-"

"The Bureau's Hostage Rescue Team," supplied Kim. "I've worked with them before."

"It was my team that was assigned to the Kelstrom Particle Accelerator incident. We were barely a minute from beginning our infiltration to rescue the hostages when the stand down order came through. It seems that a school girl who had been dragged along by her parents on a tour of that facility had somehow managed to defeat the Nihilist leader in hand-to-hand combat, just before her friend introduced your mother's jury-rigged anesthetic gas into the ventilation system." He turned to Spode for a moment. "The incident was hushed up, for obvious reasons, so the public never learned that a pair of fourteen year olds had quite literally saved the world that day."

Kim said quietly, "Not all scientists believed that the cult members would have actually been able to create the black hole effect they were trying for."

"True," conceded Fowler. "But I've seen the confidential report your father submitted afterwards. He believes it would have worked, and in my book that's definitive."

Kim nodded at the compliment, then said, "I remember you now. You gave my family and me a pretty hard time after it was all over. Even accused us of working with the Cultists."

"But only until we could get a look at the surveillance footage to see what really happened." Fowler shook his head slowly, as if still not fully believing what he had witnessed that day. "I'm second generation FBI and I've got twenty three years on the job myself, but I never saw or heard of a more incredible act.

"Well, I've followed your career with interest since then and you've certainly shown that first victory was no fluke."

"Right," said Kim tonelessly. "What about the gadget?"

Fowler reached into his jacket and produced a small clear plastic bag. Inside was a pellet about an inch and half long, glossy black with a lattice of silvery threads.

"What's it do, exactly?"

His brows contracted at her question. "It-it's an explosive."

"Okay. How is it delivered?"

Fowler wheeled on Spode. "You still haven't explained things to her yet?"

"Ah, no. I thought it best to do so when her... classmate wasn't around."

The FBI official turned back to Kim, and the look of distaste faded from his features. He handed her the bag. "It was captured from a man in Washington four days ago, just before he could use it to destroy the Latverian Embassy. "

"Go on," said Kim.

"As I said, it's an explosive device, one of almost unbelievable power considering its size."

"Okay."

"And it is completely undetectable by any current available technology."

"That's not good for the world's counter-terrorism efforts, but it fits the bill for our current sitch." She considered his face for a moment. "So what's the downside you're not telling me?"

Fowler grimaced. "As I said, it was designed as a weapon to be used by terrorists." He pressed his hands down forcefully on the tabletop until the fingertips became white. "The device can only be detonated from within the human body. The stomach, actually."

Kim felt as if ice water had been suddenly poured down her back. "So... So the delivery system is... me?"

Fowler gave her a tight nod and turned away. Kim looked over at Spode, but he was fiddling with the controls for the room's data terminal screen in a most unconvincing manner.

The teen groped her way over to the nearest chair and dropped down heavily.

_There's a way around this, something they're all missing. I just need to think. _

_But the Analysis Section was designed to be impregnable to outside assault and all those brainwashed scientists will make sure that I could never sneak a less discriminating weapon with me to the meeting with Whateley. _

_What did Ron say a few hours ago? I was way overdrawn at the Bank of Luck. He's no scholar, but the boy has a certain degree of insight. The gunmen, that first tangle with Whateley, his demon horde, Roku and the other mutants, we did good, really, really good to have even made it this far._

_But this weekend has shown that the supply of evil in the world is pretty close to infinite, and so maybe it's just not realistic to think that every victory can come without a price tag._

_Huh. I don't usually go all philosophical like this. I guess if you pile a half dozen fights to the death, messed up sleeping and eating patterns, and a lifetime's worth of emotional turmoil into two and a half days, it changes a girl. You see the world in a new light. Or is it more the absence of light that I'm finally starting to notice?_

"Miss Possible? I just want to say that I do not see this as a... suicide mission."

Kim forced her gaze to focus on Fowler. "Sure."

"Whateley's desire for revenge is our... passkey to get you into the facility. But once you two are down there, I'm certain that some other opportunity will present itself. It's been demonstrated time and time again that you are an amazingly resourceful young woman and-"

"What do you mean by 'you two'?"

"You and Ron Stoppable."

"No. Absolutely not. The one and only precondition I'm setting for this... activity is that Ron be far, far away when it happens." She glanced at the wall clock and then over to Spode. "Call and get a plane ready. I want him in the air on his way back to Middleton _before _twelve. You'll probably have to drug him, knock him out in some way, but...

"Why are you just sitting there?" she demanded.

"You told us yourself a short time ago that you could only resist Whateley's mind control power while in the company of your friend. It would be pointless to send you down there without him."

"Not pointless," corrected Fowler. "Actually harmful to our cause. If you were to start working for Whateley-"

"Okay, I get it. I just forgot for a minute." She saw the men exchange troubled looks. "I guess getting blasted by a stun gun and then thrown into a containment field takes its toll on the short term memory."

She heard Fowler mumble, "God, if there was any other way... "

"I can do this," said Kim. "I've never failed on a mission yet and I won't start now when the stakes are this high." She lowered her voice to add, "But you know, gentlemen, I'd really appreciate not having to beg for the opportunity to carry this one out."

Fowler winced. "Of course."

After Spode had nodded his own agreement, Kim said, "All right then. Tell me more about the explosive. Is there a timed detonation?"

"No," said Fowler, seemingly grateful for the new topic. "Once it's inside you, a mental link will appear. The device will only explode when, ah, excuse me, _if _you will it to happen."

Kim shook her head sadly and whispered, "If only that kind of brilliance could be directed toward helping people... " More loudly she asked, "How powerful will the blast be?"

"Enough to kill anyone in a thirty yard radius. But, given Whateley's unique ancestry, getting as close to him as you can manage will be best."

Kim's mind replayed the last conversation she had had with Whateley and decided that part of the plan would not be difficult to arrange.

She stood up and walked over to a tray holding a water pitcher. With her back to the two men she considered her right hand at length but saw no trembling.

_Thank you!_

She filled a tall glass and carried it back to her chair. Seating herself once more, she reached across the table and pulled the plastic bag towards her. When it was open she placed it on the back of her tongue. She eyed Spode and then Fowler, before raising the glass to her lips.

_Come on, Possible. You can appreciate the irony here, can't you? All the brain strain, the angst you've put yourself through this weekend, agonizing over just what tomorrow held for you and Ron. _

She filled her mouth with water and swallowed hard. An involuntary groan escaped her as the capsule traveled downward in a slow painful manner.

_When all along, the cold hard reality was that you don't get a future. _

* * *

(More Author Notes:

A big thank you, and a forever Ti amo, goes out to my pinch-hitting beta reader, Tina LNW. I'd call you the dilithium crystals in my warp engines... but that would be geeky.

The Roderick Spode featured in this story is the putative grandson of a character appearing in the writings of P. G. Wodehouse.

By the same process of appropriation Gideon Whateley is the son of Wilber Whateley, who appears in H. P. Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror."

Abner Perry has a recurring role in the Pellucidar novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Dan Fowler is the son and namesake of an intrepid Federal Agent whose exploits were chronicled by C. K. M. Scanlon, et al, in G-Men Magazine from the 1930s to the 1950s.

I know, I know, I need to read more fiction from the _second_ half of the 20th Century!

The central European nation of Latveria plays a prominent role in the Marvel Comics Universe. Thanks again to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All of the above characters and concepts are used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	22. Sidetracked

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**22. Sidetracked**

Monday Morning:

Ron Stoppable took another look toward the two armed guards at the end of the corridor, then back at the tall, dark-skinned man beside him. "Dude, are you sure about this? It doesn't actually kill you to get shot by one of those guns, but it's not a lot of fun either."

"They're not going to shoot you, Ron," replied Agent Tagore in a slightly patronizing tone.

_Of course not. That would never happen. Twice in the same morning._

Ben continued, "There isn't a single Global Justice employee in this complex who doesn't recognize you or Kim by sight."

_Right. KP. What kind of sidekick am I, getting dragged off on a separate rescue here when the only person I should be thinking about is Kim? _

As if sensing the teen's wavering determination, Agent Tagore added, "Melissa's in there because she tried to help the two of you, remember?"

_Yeah, that's why I didn't just blow you off from the start._"Ahh... Okay, let's do it already."

They moved down the corridor purposefully, with no attempt at stealth. When no more than twenty feet separated the two pairs, one of the armed men announced, "That's close enough, Tag."

Ron and Ben kept moving and when the distance narrowed to ten feet, both of the guards brought their weapons into firing positions.

Ron stopped and refused to proceed even when nudged from behind.

"You've already been told you're just wasting your time here, Tagore," growled the second guard. "Ours, too."

Ben turned to the first man. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you did go through Basic with your prisoner there, right?"

"Means nothing here, Tag. Give it up, wouldja?"

"So you're all about regulations? The two of you?"

"That's right," answered the second man. "And for once, I agree with the Spud. When you've got a security breach at HQ, and you don't know what the hell is goin' down, or if any of your staff have been turned, it's probably not a good idea to let them carry on unrestricted conversations with outsiders." He jabbed an elbow toward the door he was guarding. "She put _herself_ in there."

"He's gotta a point, Tag."

"I'm not here to debate any protocols," snapped Ben. "But I'll repeat my question: Do you follow orders, or not?"

The first man said, "Yeah, actually we do. That's why we're both on this nursemaid detail when we'd rather be back with the Assault Team getting ready to move against the intruders."

Agent Tagore extended his hand palm up in Ron's direction. "You know who this is, I assume."

"Yes," both men answered grudgingly.

"Okay, and are the two of you familiar with the wording of Executive Directive 719?"

The guards exchanged looks. "Go ahead and remind us, Tag."

Ben cleared his throat. " 'All Global Justice personnel shall provide information or material assistance when requested to do so by a member of Team Possible.' Sounds pretty straight forward to me."

"_If _the Director ever actually said anything like that, it was to protect that cyber quiz kid from being prosecuted for all the times he's hacked into the GJ 'net."

"Anyway," added the second guard, "would following Betty's wishes really be the smartest career choice right now?"

That seemed to put Ben at a temporary loss for words, so Ron decided it was his turn to speak. "We've been working with Agent Harvey all weekend long. We want to keep working with her until things are straightened out here, but we can't do that if she's locked up. So you two need to let her go. Now."

Neither man gave any sign of relenting, and the teen made a point of looking each of them in the eye. "If you're going to be stubborn about this, and Kim Possible has to come down here in person, you're both gonna regret it. Yeah, I know, your medical coverage and your sick leave are both mondo-generous. But I don't think there's a cure yet for the embarrassment that comes from having a cheerleader take your guns and then your self respect away."

After a lengthy pause, the first man asked, "Tag, is that directive really on the level?"

"Oh, yeah."

The questioner cursed in a low tone, then turned to the other guard. "Pop it, and let's get back to the Team."

The more belligerent of the two men scowled again. "You're actually falling for this sh-"

"Think about it, Whedon! In another hour either the redhead has saved the day-again-or we're all dead. Which ever way it goes, Spode is out of the equation."

With a venomous glare at Ben and then Ron, the second man punched a series of numbers into a keypad on the wall. The door to Detention Cell Three remained closed but now a green light blinked above it.

The pair of armed men started off, but just before they rounded the corner the first to speak glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, kid."

"Yeah?" asked Ron.

"Remember, you figure out a way to let us in down there, and we'll take care of the rest."

The teen nodded and turned back to Agent Tagore. In a quiet voice he said, "So, Executive Directive... uh... "

"719?"

"Yeah. You made that up, right?"

"Well, the number is imaginary, since I couldn't remember the real one. And I had to paraphrase the message since bureaucracies never put out memos under a thousand words. But the order itself is real enough."

For the briefest moment Ron found himself wondering about the ramifications of the Directive and how it might impact his future homework obligations. Then the door slid into a wall recess and they could see Melissa Harvey seated on a narrow cot.

She stared blankly in their direction for a few seconds, then a broad grin emerged on her features as she stood up. "I-I don't believe it. I mean I knew you were resourceful, but this is just... incredible."

"It really wasn't all that... " Ron began, but his voice trailed away as the young woman started toward the door with her arms extended. She met his gaze and her smile became even more pronounced. Then she made a sudden jog around the teen and threw herself into Agent Tagore's enveloping hug.

"I cannot believe you got Spode to back down on this!" she marveled. "Tell me what you did!"

Explanations had to wait however, because the way her fellow GJ agent pressed his mouth against hers made conversation momentarily impossible.

Ron turned in the other direction, although the endearments and the nonverbal noises coming from the couple were not so easy to avoid. He would have moved much farther away if they weren't blocking his exit from the cell.

Seconds passed, Ron seemingly much more aware of that than the young couple. "Listen, hey, I hate to break up the... reunion here but I really gotta go do something for Kim so-"

"Kim?" asked Melissa, apparently remembering there was a world beyond the room they occupied. "Kim's here too?"

"Yeah."

"Well, thank God for that at least. When Spode wouldn't let me talk to you anymore, I kind of lost it. Called him every name I could think of. I was afraid you'd never see her-

"Ah, but I guess I shouldn't have worried, after all." She eyed him speculatively. "You have your moments, too, guy. So now, how's about we put the 'Ron Factor' to work on getting me a new job."

She smiled at each of them in turn but neither reciprocated. "What? I'm sure I'll find something. Eventually."

Ben let go of her waist and put his hands on her shoulders. "There's some things you don't know about yet."

"I-I'm not fired?"

"Ron was able to track down Kim. And they recaptured DNAmy."

"Great."

"But after that, things started going downhill real fast."

"Like how?"

"Ah, to start, the security breach earlier, that was-"

"WEE?"

"Gideon Whateley."

Her eyes became very wide. "So-so he's on the run again?"

Ben's gaze flicked over to Ron for an instant. "Actually, he's holed up close by. But since he's gotten control of the Gemini machines - the ones that knock down buildings - it will be tough to get at him."

"Crap," muttered the young woman.

"And to make things even worse, he-he's got hostages."

"Double crap."

Ben took a deep breath. "The hostages are from the Analysis Section."

Her complexion paled noticeably. "Well... But... Do we even know for sure Allie was on duty when he got there?"

"Yeah, I think we do."

"Oh God. Oh God." She was gently prodded over to the cot and allowed herself to be seated.

Agent Tagore leaned nearer to Ron and whispered, "Her sister Allison works at the AS."

_Triple crap_, thought the teen. Aloud he said, "Mel, Kim and me are on this one. We've done the hostage rescue thing more times than I can count. It'll be okay."

"Yeah, but it's Whateley! God! He's... I... Ron, I've seen plenty of bad guys close up. I once ran a biometric scan package on Monkey Fist. Had to almost get as near to him as I am to you. Not exactly fun but still, compared to Whateley...

"How-how long has he been down there? With the... hostages?"

"A few hours now, I guess," mumbled Ron.

Her chin dropped to her chest and she rubbed her temples repeatedly for several seconds. Then her head snapped up again. "Whateley's not all human; you know that, right?"

"Neither is Monty," pointed out the teen.

"Okay, but at least all of _his_ DNA comes from this planet. One of the Delta Green troopers told me Whateley's grandfather was something called an 'Outer God.' Yeah, that was a new one on me, too. It means a... thing that comes from outside the known universe."

"Melissa... "

She whirled in Agent Tagore's direction. "Ben, don't start with me. You haven't seen him close up. But I have." Turning back to Ron, she asked softly, "Do _you_have any trouble believing that some part of Whateley is... extra-terrestrial?"

After a moment's hesitation, he shook his head. "But Spode is arranging to get us some kind of gadget to even the odds."

Melissa's face twisted up. "Spode, huh? Now there's a man you want to put all your trust in."

"Speaking of misplaced trust," said Ben. "What's the Spindrift?"

"It's a sub-orbital transport aircraft that GJ has been considering purchasing," she told him. "Supposed to be twice as fast as any other commercial plane on the market today. Why do you ask?"

"I overheard Spode ordering that it be put at his disposal."

"So... maybe he's thinking about skipping out on us?"

Ben shrugged. "He's gonna have a helluva lot to answer for when this is all over."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"Every damn bit of this is his fault," said Agent Harvey.

"How?"

"The Security Council bought into Spode's talk about cutting the 'waste and inefficiency' inside Global Justice, and they forced him on the Director. So one of his first 'trim the fat' moves was to shut down our facility in, well, under Cambridge, Massachusetts. Which meant that Whateley and all those metal dissolving gadgets both had to come here to New York, instead of being sent to separate locations a hundred miles apart."

"Yes, and did you ever wonder why there are so many escapes from the GJ prison?" demanded Agent Tagore. "Well, simple explanation there; Spode had it privatized. Guess it's tough to be efficient and still maintain your profit margins."

"Uh huh," said Melissa. "Now, was that before or after he completely shut down the Arcane Research Division?"

"Hard to keep the timeline of bad decisions straight," Ben admitted. "But there's one good thing to come out of it all: Betty's vindication."

"Right. All those letters of complaint she's written to the Security Council, that they ignored or ridiculed... " Her brows drew closer together. "God, if I could only be there to see those sanctimonious bastards stammer out their apologies to her!"

The two males in the room exchanged uneasy looks, and Ron asked, "What time you got, Ben?"

"11:23."

"Uhh, I gotta move here. Can you point me towards that supply place?"

"The Quartermaster Division? Probably be faster if we just walked you over there."

As they moved quickly along the corridor, Melissa asked, "What do you need from Q, Ron?"

"A new pair of shoes for Kim. Ones that don't have any of Wade's gadgets in them."

"I should have known. With the kind of sensor equipment they have at the entrance to the Analysis Section, you couldn't even bring a thumbtack in without it being detected.

"But, hey, I've been down there a few times visiting... Uh, visiting. Let me tell you about the layout of the place... "

* * *

When they arrived at his destination, Ron handed over the requisition slip Spode had given him to the clerk on duty, and received a new pair of women's size seven tennis shoes in return.

He made a quick gesture of thanks and faced Ben again. "Okay, so is it hard to get back to where I first met you from here?"

"Not at all. You take that lift, go up two floors, exit to the right, and Conference Room One is just down that corridor."

He extended his hand to the teen. "Thanks, Ron. For what you've already done. And... for what comes next."

"You too, Agent T." Ron was wondering if it would be appropriate to shake Melissa's hand as well, when she threw her arms around him for a brief hug.

Retreating back to Ben's side, she considered him gravely and said, "You and Kim have been doing the impossible all weekend long. Think maybe there's one more miracle still to come?"

"That's kinda our specialty." She didn't respond and the teen felt compelled to add quietly, "We'll bring your sister and all the others down there back safely. That's a promise."

Agent Harvey tightened her grip around Ben's waist and he draped an arm across her shoulders. After another moment of silence, Agent Tagore told him, "Good luck, Ron. See you soon."

Melissa looked like she had something else to say, but gave him a jerky nod instead and turned so she and Ben were facing in the opposite direction. They maintained their tight embrace as they walked away, but Ron still heard him state in a low somber voice, "There are some other things you need to know about, too… "

_So he's going to spell out all the nasty details, huh? Brave move. But if Melissa is anything like me, she might not appreciate hearing just how bad a sitch we're all in. _

He stepped over to the elevator and thumbed the upturned arrow on the control panel. It opened almost immediately and Ron entered a lift already occupied by five GJ soldiers wearing helmets and what looked like plate armor vests. None of them said a word as the elevator began to rise once more, but the teen imagined they were all staring intently at the back of his head.

The car stopped again on the next level and he turned his face away from the doors. Two men in white lab coats stepped on board. They were engaged in an animated discussion about whether the sonic pulses - presumably from the machines Whateley now controlled – consisted of compression waves, transverse waves, or both. The first scientist insisted on the both, which meant that "Summers' and Rosenberg's ablative foam injection idea was a complete waste of time."

The second scientist held out for compression alone, but agreed that the foam plan would never work given the logistical constraints they were up against. "Still, it's doing something, instead of sitting on our asses like everyone else on site."

This prompted a heated response from one of the soldiers and Ron was very glad that the elevator door opened onto his floor at that moment. He stepped quickly into the corridor and turned to his right.

Another armed man stood watch outside the Conference Room but he waved Ron through the door without a word.

_Why isn't Kim here? Here resting for as long as she can. _His gaze settled on the small mound of their collected luggage and he saw her backpack was only half closed. _No! Not even KP would be that obsessive. Could she? _

He almost ran to that corner of the room and pulled open her pack the rest of the way. _Well, her notebook is missing but at least all her school books are still here. That's something at least. _Then he noticed the latch for the first aid kit wasn't fully depressed. Pulling it into closer view, he lifted the lid up and saw the prescription bottle for painkillers was empty now. _Hope there was enough left to do you some good, because I know you would never ask anybody here for a refill. _

With a wordless cry, the teen threw the metal box from him. It created a deep gouge in the polished wood as it clattered across the tabletop and he took an irrational pleasure in seeing that.

'_Life is unfair. Monumentally unfair.'_

_I didn't even have a clue back then, did I? With everything she's already gone through this weekend, and now she has to save the planet again. Face Whateley. Again. She needs some major recuperation and relaxation time, not a rematch with outer space boy. _

_But still, it's Kim Possible we're talking about here. The one person in the world who always, always, finds a way to get the job done. Man, last year KP even managed to get me out of having to paying a couple a million dollars in back taxes to the IRS for my Naco royalty check, so this should be a push over. _

He let out a heavy sigh._ Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Stoppable. _

He stared at the scattered contents of the first aid kit for a long moment, then walked over and began picking the items up. He did so not because he had a problem with disorder; rather it was because he knew his best friend was more fastidious than he, and Ron didn't want her to waste any part of her all too limited remaining energy in cleaning up after him.

_Yeah, Kim is beat - and beat down - like never before, which makes for a pretty good explanation of all the emotional weirdness of this weekend. And if you add in the surprising news that I'm actually kinda pulling my own weight on this trip, it's enough to throw anybody off balance. There's the whole play acting deal, too. Up until a few hours ago we were pretending to be newlyweds, and KP always gives like one hundred and fifty percent to anything she does, so naturally some of the shippiness would carry over even to when we're alone. _

_But don't forget about the Moodulator, either. Kim sort of hinted on Friday, no Saturday night, that it was still affecting her. Maybe she needs more time to completely get over what it did to her. _

_Yeah, but the thing is you knew all that stuff last night, back at the Dragonfly Inn, and it didn't stop you from pestering Rory Gilmore._

_'I have a big, big favor to ask and while you would have every right to say no, I'm hoping that you won't, because... Because it's pretty close to being a life or death deal for me.'_

_Rory is really smart - probably has some Possible blood somewhere in her family tree - but no amount of brain power can stand up to a Stoppable when he goes into full on beg and plead mode. Hey, the fact that my parents ever hooked up is proof of that. _

_Rory sure didn't want to spill all the details of her mother's love life to a guy she barely knew, but she caved eventually. _

_So let me see if I can remember all the ways that Kim and Ron are like Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes. _

_One: You got a guy and a girl who somehow managed to become best friends. _

_Two: The best friend thing lasted for years and years even though the two don't seem to have very much in common._

_Three: Other people think the guy and the girl are a romantic couple, even though the friends always denied it. _

_Four: the guy and the girl both acted jealous whenever someone of the opposite sex showed an interest in the other friend._

_I know there's differences, too. Luke and Lorelei are older than us, and they didn't meet until they were adults. Lorelai might come close to Kim in the looks department, but nobody's gonna ever say that Luke and me are at the same end of the Food Chain. _

_Also unlike me, he's got money. Having his own business meant he could have actually taken care of Lorelai financially, if she suddenly went crazy and decided to spend every waking minute of her life helping other people instead of looking after herself._

Remembering Kim's momentary temptation to keep the reward for the University book brought a groan from the teen. _Yeah, just what I need here, more reasons to poultry-fy. Not to mention the whole Madeline and Louise deal... _

_Well, anyway, not everything matches up exactly but still, the guy/girl best friend thing is so rare I really better pay close attention when I find out there's anybody else out there who has anything like what Kim and me have. _

_Rory said Luke and Lorelai were always there for each other; supporting, comforting, defending, when one was in trouble, they'd go right to the other. It was BFF City until they decided to move to the next level and start dating. _

_Then it all blew up in their faces. As friends they could fight and make up, no problem, but add romance to the mix and suddenly the forgiving and forgetting thing is a lot harder to do. _

_So they went from seeing each other every day, to staying as far apart as a small town like Stars Hollow will let them. Rory says she just doesn't know if they could ever go back to the way they had things before. _

_Kirk Gleason pretty much told me the same stuff on Saturday night, but I was hoping he might have got the story mixed up somehow. No such luck, of course._

_Well, maybe a bust-up like that would happen to me and KP, too, or maybe not. But there's no denying that us starting to date would change things forever. It could bring us even closer together, or we might end up hating each other. Her hating me, anyway. I knew about the potential dangers; I've known about them for a long time now. That's why I just couldn't muster up the courage to crush back on Kim when she had the Moodulator on._

_So don't take the chance. Keep things casual. Best friendish. It's been thirteen awesome years, hasn't it? It didn't really feel like anything was missing, not until the last year and a half, at least. _

"Okay," he muttered gloomily. "Somebody tell me again why Mankey was ever born?"

Ron stared at the first aid kit for a moment, then over to where Kim's backpack rested on the floor. The teen knelt down and placed the box back within it.

He started to rise up again, then gave her carry-on bag a closer look.

_She's had this thing for years, but keeps it looking like brand new. _His hand moved caressingly across the fabric. _Not a mark on it. And it smells so nice, too, like flowers and fruit and soap and... Kim. _

He took hold of the bag's zipper pull, rubbing it gently between finger and thumb for several seconds. But when he realized he had started to actually open the case, his hand yanked back and he jumped to his feet.

Ron quickly scanned the conference room, certain for a moment that someone from Global Justice was watching him. But he was still alone.

_I have _got_to get back to Middleton before I lose it completely. Except that if we can't figure out a way to take down Whateley again, there won't be a Middleton for much longer. No Rufus. No Bueno Nacho. No Cable TV. No Mom or Dad either. _

_If you really believed it was the end of the world, how would you spend your last moments? Ben and Melissa probably have some ideas about that..._

The teen's gaze drifted over a few feet to his own overnight bag, which was scuffed, stained, dusty, and adorned with the sticky remnants of three different baggage claim tags. Beside it was his backpack, which he had owned for a much shorter period of time, but it was approaching a similar state of disrepair.

_What was that song Bubbe used to play on her old turntable? Something like "All or Nothing at All.' Don't remember any of the lyrics but the title kinda speaks to me right now. Of course there's lots of different kinds of 'Nothing'..._

As he continued to stare downward, an idea, a plan of action, suddenly occurred to him which caused his heart to start thumping.

_Whoa. I mean, yeah sure, show a little courage, pretend you're a few months away from being a man and take some risks to get a happy ending here. But _that_? I think it would take a Wade level super-genius to count up all the things that could go wrong if I really was to try it. Shouldn't I start my new career as a gambler a lot smaller, like maybe buying a lottery ticket?_

_No. No baby steps on a weekend like this. There's too much up for grabs._

_'All or Nothing at All.'_

_Well, considering what they have to work with, there's worse things that could go on my tombstone. But depending on how the rest of this day goes, there might not be anybody around to carve it. _

* * *

(More author notes:

For more on the Spindrift, consult the "Land of the Giants" television program created by Irwin Allen.

Ron Stoppable was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All of the above characters and concepts are used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	23. What You Leave Behind

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**23. What You Leave Behind**

Monday Morning:

Dear Mom and Dad,

Sorry this letter won't be anywhere near as long as the subject matter requires but, well, there's just less time here than I'd like (excuse the understatement!).

Anyway, if you are reading this it means that the world was saved but I wasn't. Big Picture perspective says that's a victory.

You two raised me to always think about the Big Picture, not just by your words, but by the way you lived your own lives. Both of you could have made so much more money doing corporate research, and worked much less exhausting job schedules, too, but that wasn't the best way to serve the greater good.

And it was for the greater good that you two - oh so reluctantly and ever so grudgingly! - allowed me to begin the whole mission thing a few years back.

So please don't start up the second-guessing or the self-recriminations here. You made the right decision back then. And Mom, I know you thought about making me come home when we talked yesterday, but you didn't. That was the right decision, too. Six billion people are alive today because of your wisdom and compassion. Don't ever forget that.

And don't forget how much I love the two of you. Love, and respect, and admire you both, so, so much I hardly deserve to call myself a teenager! I just wish I had told you that in words a lot more often than I did.

But regrets never actually change things, do they? Besides, seventeen years with the greatest parents on Earth beats seventy years with any other Mom and Dad around.

Give each other big hugs from me, and then plenty more to Nana, the Twins (No, I did not misspell Tweebs there!), Uncle Slim and Aunt June, and Joss and Larry, and well, the whole extended family.

And don't forget about my 'other' parents, the Stoppables, either. Considering all the grief I've put their son through over the years, the risks he's faced on my behalf, they have always been incredibly kind to me.

Just between you two, this notebook, and me, I don't know yet how I'm going to keep Ron safe through what apparently has to happen next. But I will figure out a way!

(Insert Possible Family motto here.)

Your loving, and yes, lucky, daughter,

Kim

* * *

Nana,

No granddaughter of yours would ever fail to carry out her assigned mission, no matter the cost. But the fact that I could have ever been entrusted with a responsibility like this at all, is because of you, and all the other female operatives who came before me. You put your lives on the line over and over again, despite the distrust and derision of your male superiors, and you did it without any of the public acknowledgement that I've gotten over the years.

So I thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a difference in this world.

Your loving, grateful granddaughter,

Kim

* * *

Monique,

You know, the invitation to hang with you this weekend sounded great on Saturday morning. Now it seems like the most brilliant idea since the two-for-one sale at Club Banana!

But seriously, Mon, I spent a good part of my first fifteen years wishing I had a sister. And guess what? You were so worth the wait!

Have the kind of life you deserve.

Love,

Kim

P. S. You can tell Bonnie from me that if the Squad, her Squad now, doesn't win the Regionals this year and next, I'm gonna figure out a way to come back and deliver a good swift one right on that too-big backside of hers.

P. P. S. Obviously Ron is going to have a lot more free time from now on. So if you both want to, maybe you could go catch a wrestling show together some time.

* * *

Jim and Tim,

Over the last few years I should have spent more time talking to you two, and less yelling, because then I might have gotten around to describing a strange dream I once had that you were in. Actually, Ron and I both had this dream, so he can fill you in on the details that I don't have the time (there's that word again!) to go into.

Anyway, this dream was set like twenty years in the future and you two had become men. Mature, responsible men!

The thing is, though, we don't have twenty years for that to happen anymore. It's got to start now. Mom and Dad are going to have trouble adjusting to what happened this weekend. So you both have to be there for them. Turn all that energy and imagination you possess into being caring and supportive young men.

I know you can do it - you're Possibles!

Your big sister will be very grateful.

Love,

Kim

P. S. I gave each of you at least a million kisses back when you were babies. You know, before Mom decided it would 'build my character' to start helping her with diaper changing! Let's pretend that on Friday morning, instead of snapping and snarling at you, I made that a million and one.

* * *

Wade,

It was great to finally meet you in person last month. But I wish I had taken a minute there to thank you for the way you supported Ron and me on all those missions over the last few years. You always made it look so easy, but I learned this weekend that not even a worldwide organization like Global Justice, with its thousands of employees, can measure up to one super-genius.

Your friend,

Kim

* * *

Well guess what, Procrastination Boy? Almost fourteen years of hanging with my one and only BF has caused that bad habit to rub off on me. There's something I've needed to do for a long, long time, but kept putting it off. Sound familiar, there, Ronald?

I know you've called us best friends about ten times more often then I have. Partly that's just my longstanding aversion to squishy sentiment-expressing it, I mean, not feeling it. But the other problem I'm starting to have with the label "best friend" is that those words just don't seem strong enough to cover what I think we mean to each other.

So let me correct that now:

Ron, I love you.

Hope you can read that last line, because my hand is really shaking here. For the very first time this weekend, I might add!

Anyway, it's worth repeating.

I do love you, Ron! I don't remember a time in my life when I didn't love you, although I never allowed myself to use that word before, even in the privacy of my own thoughts. But it wasn't until this weekend that I realized (admitted?) just what kind of love we were dealing with here.

(Here's a clue: Part of me wishes I had the time to track down Madeline and Louise and give them about eight Kung Fu demos a piece!)

So, anyway, a fear of rejection kept me quiet here too long. That and a weird quirk inside my head that makes it very hard for me to show emotional vulnerability. Not one of my most endearing qualities, I know, but it's there all the same. And for some reason I cannot understand, it seems to be at its worst with you. Yeah, that makes zero sense considering that I never worried in our mission work about you sometimes literally having my life in your hands. But hey, you above all other people should know that Kimberly Anne Possible is one strange mixture of strength and weakness.

You just need to always remember that sometimes the unstated emotions are the strongest, most heartfelt ones of all.

So now it looks like maybe the clock has run out on us having a future together. And just when it was starting to get really interesting, too! Believe me, I'm going to do my best in the fight to come here, but I know what Whateley is like, and right now I can only see one foolproof way to take him down.

Which brings us to the traditional last request. You know, just in case. I'm going to ask you to try very, very hard to accept what I might need to do a few minutes from now. We've talked before about the Afterlife, but I'm going to revise my earlier comments. I could never have anything like an eternal peace if I knew that you hated yourself or you hated me.

With all the love in this or any other universe,

Your KP

* * *

(More author notes:

Thanks to BeeKay84 for her invaluable assistance in the preparation of this chapter. Do yourself a favor and check out her "Perfect Planning" story on this website. It's a classic KP adventure that would have made a terrific Season Four episode.

Kim Possible was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

Her character is used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	24. Descent

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**24. Descent**

Monday Morning:

_I can sense it inside of me. See it in my mind's eye. I know, absolutely _know, _its exact position inside my stomach. And I can command it, control it, just like any other part of my body._

_I almost think I can hear it, too. Calling to me. Assuring me. __'You won't be defeated here. You won't fail all those people whose lives are in your hands. _

_'__And in that last instant, you'll see _him_ feel hopelessness and fear and the terrible realization that it's the end of everything'._

* * *

Despite the close proximity of the two armed guards, Kim Possible found herself hesitating outside the Conference Room and her hand hovered a few inches above the doorknob.

_You can do this_, she told herself. _Walk in there, and act like it's just another mission, just another day. Because it might be that the only way to keep him safe here, is to keep him ignorant._

With a cursory smile at the nearest man, her fingers started to close around the knob, only to have the door swing inward abruptly.

"Hey, champ, I'm gonna need one - Oh, KP."

From a distance of perhaps eighteen inches, Ron Stoppable studied her features for a long moment, then gestured toward the local time wall clock. "Cutting things kinda close, aren't you?"

"So now _you're_ lecturing me about deadlines?"

"Uhh, guess not. But I am going to insist we don't use the word '_dead_line' any more, at least until we're back in Middleton."

"Deal," Kim muttered as she stepped past him.

Walking toward their bags, the teen worked to keep the grip on her notebook appear relaxed and casual.

"Did you get the... ?"

She quickly spun in place and put a finger to her lips. Ron gave her an apologetic look and turned to close the door behind him. While he did so, Kim quickly thrust the notebook into her backpack.

Straightening up once more, she asked, "Got everything out of your pockets?"

"Yeah. So tell me about the gadget."

"Not here."

He frowned. "But _this_ has to be one of those 'secure locations' that spy guys are so big on."

"I've sworn off assumptions for the duration," Kim said curtly. In a softer tone she asked, "Those my new shoes over there?"

"Yeah." He walked in the direction she indicated and it seemed that he was limping again.

_Why, why does __Ron have to come with me after all he's already gone through on this mission? There should be a drug they could give me to block mind control. _

_Yeah__. Sure. And how many other questions can I think up right now that also start with 'There should be... '?_

The teen slipped off her shoes and took the pair he handed over. Kim seated herself long enough to put them on and tie them, then stood up again. She placed her weight on one foot, then the other before announcing, "They're fine."

"What about those?"

Kim stared down at her hands for a moment, then pinched a place on the back of her left glove. With a yank she tore off the entire control module and tossed it on the table.

"They're just fabric now. So... " She cleared her throat a bit self-consciously. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. How about you?"

"Let's go pay a visit to Grandpa Whateley."

Outside in the corridor they were reunited with Roderick Spode, who was flanked by several Global Justice soldiers. He considered Ron's hostile glare briefly, without any change in his impassive expression, then turned to Kim. "We're holding the elevator."

As soon as the lift doors closed she asked, "Any word yet from Wade?"

"No," replied the Deputy Director. "Because of some rather overzealous safety arrangements, there is no direct communication permissible with anyone attending the London Conference. All contact must be approved and forwarded by the on-site Security Coordinator, and thus far I've been unable to personally speak with Agent Du."

The two teens exchanged sour glances, then watched Spode extract a passcard from his jumpsuit pocket. This was thrust into a slot on the control panel next to the door.

Instantly the lights in the car shifted over to a dark-room red and they began to sink downwards. The sudden sensation of weightlessness told Kim their descent was rapid, while the length of the trip implied they were traveling a considerable distance below ground.

The teen wondered idly if it was sunny up on the streets of New York, then abstract curiosity was replaced with anger. _What next, regretting that I might never hear birds singing again? Get a grip, already! No matter what you think _might_ have to happen down there, this game isn't over yet. _

The elevator came to a stop and the doors swung open silently. Beyond was a large dimly lit area filled with still more armed men and women. Kim estimated there were at least one hundred soldiers assembled here, speaking together in small groups, or tending to assorted weaponry.

Off to the left dozens of workmen were furiously turning pallets of stacked lumber and coils of rope into wooden support structures. On the right, men and women in medical uniforms were sorting through equipment cases and arranging gurneys.

A low horn beep from behind prompted the trio to move a few feet so that an electric tractor could get past them. The trailer it pulled was loaded with cardboard boxes marked with the name of the Classic Plastics Corporation.

_That company name wouldn't mean __anything to most people, but thanks to Wade's disaster prediction computer program, I've seen more floods, avalanches, and hurricanes close up than any ten FEMA employees. CPC is the preferred body bag supplier to the U. S. military and most of this countries' law enforcement agencies, and some optimistic bureaucrat seems to believe there will be enough of humankind left at the end of this day to actually put them to use. _

A man with his helmet tucked under one arm approached, saluted Spode, and said, "All units, all equipment in place, sir. We move on your command."

The Deputy Director considered his watch, then Kim. "You'll understand that we can't wait indefinitely for Plan 'B' to commence?"

She glanced at Ron for a moment before murmuring, "Yes. How much time will we have?"

"It wouldn't be prudent to reveal that information at the moment."

_So what you're telling me is__, not only do you have your doubts about me stopping Whateley, you think I might even join forces with him. Oh, you miserable freakin'-_

Spode turned back to the GJ officer. "How do we stand with alternative armaments?"

"ATF is supposedly rushing another dozen ceramic handguns our way, but even if that doesn't happen, I've still got two full squads armed with them." The man turned to Kim and seemed about to address her, but Spode cut him off with a dismissive gesture.

"It's six minutes to," he told the redhead. "Time for you to start over."

The door for the Access Tunnel was a solid metal disk fifteen feet across, and on either side of it polyethylene containers of nitric acid had been piled up nearly as high.

_If I actually deserve my current 'A-' in Chem Class, that's the stuff that can eat through metal. _

A soldier grabbed hold of a large wall mounted lever next to the portal and eyed Spode deferentially.

The Englishman held up a finger, and a contemptuous look came to his face. "The Secretary General has instructed me to wish you good luck, and Godspeed." His mouth twisted up. "There was also something that began with 'The prayers of a planet will guide your actions' but I stopped listening by that point."

He stared down at the two teens in silence for a few seconds, then said in clipped tones, "Hope the _Team _lives up its reputation."

As soon as the lever was depressed there came a grating, rumbling sound. The door slid outward from the wall, then rolled to one side. Beyond it was a broad white tiled corridor one hundred feet long.

The teens stepped over the deep track of the door channel. Kim gave the people remaining behind only the briefest of looks, but Ron kept his eyes locked with Spode until a foot of metal separated the two.

When the echoes of the clanging door finally stopped, there was an unnatural silence.

"So do they come to us now or should... ?"

"We walk," Kim finished, and started forward. Her ears told her Ron paused briefly before following, but he was by her side a moment later.

"Can we talk now about, umm... ?"

"Nope. We don't know what sort of observation technology they'll have set up." _Okay, that's not _really_ a lie. _

"Yeah, but I... I wanted to... I know I'm not the idea guy on the team, but this plan sorta popped-"

"There already _is _a plan, Ron!" Kim realized there was a harshness to her tone she didn't intend and forced a smile. "The plan is we work together to bring Whateley down. You keep me from being mind controlled and I... I... " She struggled to come up with words that would reassure him. "And I 'open a can a freak' on him like he never imagined."

Ron's response was an almost imperceptible smile, then a nod of agreement.

The rest of the walk through the corridor came without further conversation. The door at the far end was identical to the one they had already stepped through, but it had no lever to pull. Instead there was a small panel on the wall with a single red button.

Ron stared at it for several seconds, then asked softly, "Why do I feel like it's the first day of Junior High again?"

His words jarred Kim out of her own grim thoughts. "Y'know, Ron, I'm thinking there really aren't that many similarities... Ah... Yeah."

_We started __at Hillridge four days after he got back from Camp Wannaweep. And he was never quite the same after that. All the confidence, all his faith in the future was knocked out of him at that place. Change became the enemy. _

"I'm pretty sure I remember the both of us surviving the Sixth Grade."

"I only made it because of you, Kim."

"We could say the same thing about my first week with braces. The way you kept Bonnie off my back until I... adjusted to things.

"I'm there for you, and you for me. The Kim/Ron story since, well, since the days of night-lights and afternoon naps. And for _some_ of us at least, that was a long time ago."

"Hilarious, KP."

She continued in a more tentative tone, "But this sitch is a little different from all the other save-the-world missions we've been on. Because of what Whateley is like, and because of all the handicaps put on us, there's gonna be a lot less room for error.

"We don't know what kind of technology Whateley will have to use against us, if the people there are his prisoners or his allies, or even who's alive or dead.

"But I do know that I need you to follow my orders down there, instantly, whether they make sense or not. Because if you aren't prepared to do that, then I... "

"Yeah?"

Her tongue flicked momentarily over dry lips. "Then right here, right now I knock you unconscious and go in by myself."

His eyes widened, then narrowed, and his chest moved rapidly. "What about the mind control deal?"

"I'll just have to figure that out when I get there. Not _your_ worry since you'll be out here. Dreaming of... whatever."

Eventually he asked, "Is this my payback for Saturday night, keeping you from going off with those Delta Gamma people?"

"No. This is what I have to do to keep you safe through what comes next. I told you Friday night that's obligation number one on a mission."

She felt her throat tighten and her eyes begin to sting. In a hoarse voice she added, "It's going to take everything I've got to stop Whateley. I can't be worrying about your safety while I'm doing it."

A look of pain replaced his earlier suspicion, and she told him, "Special circumstances for this one, Ron. I don't think like that on regular missions."

When his troubled expression remained, she said, "We're talking a one time deal here. And I'm not finding fault with you in any way. There's nobody in this world I'd rather have at my side in a normal super-villain smack down."

The compliment seemed to have mollified him slightly, but he still remained silent.

_Speaking of one time deals... _"Ron, don't fight me on this... Please?"

He shook his head a little, paused, then said tonelessly, "Okay, Kim. We do it your way."

Something like a sob burst from her. She turned quickly away from him and faked a series of coughing sounds. After rubbing angrily at her eyes, she straightened up and jabbed a thumb against the red button.

Without meeting his gaze, she mumbled, "It's got to be very close to twelve by now."

Seconds passed, but not many before Kim pressed the button again.

"So what's been the worst part of this weekend, KP?"

Confusion - and a touch of alarm - caused her to face toward him again. "How-how do you mean?"

"What do you miss the most?"

She shook her head to indicate a continuing lack of understanding.

"It's going on like four days now. Is it Bueno Nacho or television that you most want to reconnect with?"

_Okay. I get it now. The Distraction Game again. I appreciate the attempt but there's some__ things, some problems, that don't go away so easily. _

_Except __maybe this time it's as much for him as for me. _"Yeah, I'm gonna go with 'C'."

"Is that like a geometry answer?"

"The thing I miss most is sleep."

"Ah, got it. Too bad GJ didn't arrange to pay for the hotel room by the time we actually spent inside it."

"It was a nice one, too," said Kim. "I don't think I've ever stayed anywhere nicer."

"Maybe you should write to the Gilmores and tell them."

"I'm going to delegate that to you... Mr. Pendarvis."

Ron seemed suddenly uncomfortable staring into her eyes, and took his turn with the red button.

A loud grinding noise sounded after that. The door slid inward, then rolled to the side. As soon as they stepped through, it closed up again.

The next chamber was about twenty foot square, with lights of various colors that blinked along the walls. The teens walked to the center of the room and watched as assorted electronic devices moved down from the ceiling on mechanical arms. The machines darted around each of them, buzzing and shining rays over them.

_If they're able to detect the bomb, then it would probably be simple enough to get it to detonate remotely._

"Why do you keep touching your stomach? That's like the fourth time you've done it."

"I... Hey, you're the one who catered lunch. Those condiment choices were, uh, to borrow a phrase: wrong-sick."

"Yeah. They were. But as soon as this is over, we'll go get some real food. That'll fix you up."

Suddenly robbed of the ability to speak, she could only nod and eye him gravely.

After what must have been a full minute of sensor analysis, the devices retracted again, and yet another massive metal door creaked open in front of the best friends.

The next chamber was of a comparable size but with bare walls and a plain ceiling. It also had five men and women all pointing guns at them.

"Easy, Ron," said Kim, in a near whisper. "If the _only_ thing he wanted was us dead, it would have already happened."

She was a single step ahead of him as they walked into the room, flinching slightly as the door clanged shut behind them. None of the five were Whateley, but they all wore similar expressions of implacable hostility. Their weapons seemed like the same devices that had been used against the teens on Spode's orders earlier that day, but with some jury-rigged modifications. New components had been added to each gun, held in place haphazardly by electrical tape.

_I'm guessing that's to make them a lot more lethal than the standard GJ ordinance. _

She turned her attention from the weapons to the people holding them. All wore lab coats, jump suits, or both. They seemed to vary in age from late twenties to early fifties and each had a face that glistened with perspiration.

A olive-skinned woman whose dark hair was streaked with silver handed her gun to another and strode forward. With her face inches from Ron's she snarled, "Oh, how I wish I could tear your guts out with my bare hands and stomp on them."

"Like I haven't heard that one before," he replied.

"Cafeteria Lady?" asked Kim, without looking in his direction.

"Yeah. But never when there are witnesses around... "

"Shut up!" screamed the woman.

In a soothing voice, Kim said, "Have we done something to offend you?"

The woman whirled on her. "You've come here to try and stop Mr. Whateley. That's not going to happen!"

"Stop him from doing what?"

"From carrying out his work!"

"But what work is that?" persisted Kim.

The woman stared at her with a gleam in her very bright eyes. "You just don't get it, do you? You think showing up here was the way to defeat Mr. Whateley, when what you've really done is ensure-"

"Get on with it!" interrupted one of the armed men.

The woman's face twitched in irritation and she started to move her fingers over the teen's body.

Kim exhaled sharply through her nose. She certainly wasn't used to being handled in such an intimate manner, but more disconcerting was the sensation of the woman's touch. It went far beyond the warmth of Ron's skin; her skin was unnaturally hot, as if she was burning up from the inside out, and everywhere she touched the teen's clothing, a damp stain was left behind.

When the extremely thorough search was completed, another was started on Ron.

Kim met the hostile gaze of a round faced man with glasses and a Santa Claus beard. In calm, quiet tones she said, "Hello again, Dr. Berkovich. It's been awhile."

He scowled and said nothing.

"Do you remember Ron and me?"

"Yes," was the grudging answer.

"Okay. I wasn't sure. You bought us lunch a few months ago when we came here for that training session."

He made no reply to that.

"You offered to do it because I had saved your grandson's life in a concert fire a couple of years back."

"Right."

"So how did we end up on the wrong side here?"

Berkovich brought a bandaged left hand up to mop his dripping forehead. "Whatever sympathy I might have had for you ended when you decided to oppose Mr. Whateley," he growled in a Slavic accent.

"Well, perhaps I've heard wrong about... Mr. Whateley. Tell me what his real intentions are and maybe I can help."

He considered this for a moment. "No. You don't really believe. You'd try to stop his plan if you could. Of course it's too late for that."

Kim asked, "What happened to your hand? Your _hands_? Everybody here has a bandage in the same place."

"She's just trying to delay things!" shouted another man. "They're beginning to realize how much trouble is coming their way."

"Yeah, 'beginning'," mumbled Ron.

The woman who had searched them shoved the teen from behind and he was propelled forward violently. Climbing back to his feet again, he gave Kim a rueful look that she needed no words to interpret.

_Not only are these people __completely under Whateley's control, they've got something like his strength now, too._

Berkovich punched in what seemed to be a lengthy pass-code and yet another huge metal door rumbled open. Then the two teens were ordered to step through into what was the beginning of the Analysis Section itself.

_But it's so very different now. Nothing like the photos and video footage Spode and the others had shown me. _

The facility was shaped like a giant cylinder, more than fifty feet in diameter and almost five times that in length. The area closest to the entrance was completely open to accommodate even the largest scientific devices, as well as the equipment needed to maneuver them around.

The curved walls here were ordinarily an antiseptic white, without any adornments save for the rows of recessed lights at the peak of the ceiling. But now strange symbols, and something like, and yet unlike an alphabet had been painted across most of the free spaces.

Only when the exit door had screeched back into the closed position did Kim realize she had been too distracted to watch Berkovich manipulate the egress controls. From the multitude of buttons and dials in front of her, she knew they would never manage to get the portal open unaided.

Against the walls to the right and the left were stacked row after row of the metal dissolving machines. Each was man-high with a barrel-shaped polymer casing that had access openings in various places to reveal the glass jars and plastic tubes of multi-colored fluids within. Thick black cables ran up and down these rows and a line was inserted inside the case of each machine.

Kim knew the cables were not a part of the original design of the weapons, and had to assume they had been added as a triggering mechanism.

She tried to count them to be sure all forty-seven were present, but kept being distracted by a strange droning noise coming from somewhere in front of them.

At first she wondered if the motor was running on the crane they could see some distance ahead of them. By the time they had moved beyond the rows of the so-called Doomsday devices, however, she and Ron were able to observe nine more Global Justice staff members. They were seated in a circle on the floor, all chanting in perfect synchronization. Experienced world traveler though she was, there was nothing even remotely familiar about the language they were using. From the raspy tones of their voices and the amount of sweat that drenched their faces and clothing, she judged they had been engaged in this recitation for a considerable time.

"Whateley! Where are you?"

A younger female with wheat-blonde hair approached and gave them a contemptuous sneer. "He's busy at the moment. But I wouldn't be in such a hurry to see him again. You're not going to like what he has in store for you."

"Busy doing what?" asked Kim, slightly distracted by the puzzled scrutiny Ron was giving the woman.

"Attending to the last few details of the plan." Kim saw her left hand was also bandaged when she rubbed the sleeve of her lab coat against her dripping brow. "And now that you two have arrived, the success of that plan has been assured."

"Where's Dr. Director?"

"We've eliminated _that_ worry-"

"Don't you dare claim the credit for that!" shouted another scientist. "I'm the one who shot her!"

"Only a second ahead of me!" protested a third.

Kim turned to Ron again but he was still considering the fair-haired woman. "You... Your name is Allie, right?"

She frowned at him. "Allison, actually. What of it?"

"Your sister is Melissa Harvey? Yeah, she is. I can see the resemblance around the eyes. You know, she's very worried about you."

"No reason for that. I'm helping the cause here. Doing good work."

"As in threatening the world?" asked Kim, with a bit of an edge.

"Sometimes you have to destroy a thing to save it."

"Interesting concept," said Ron. "Have you considered a career in politics?"

"I wouldn't expect someone like _you_ to understand."

"Okay, sounds like Education is more your calling."

Kim gave Ron a look, then turned back to the woman. "Well, I want to understand. Tell _me_ what 'the cause' is."

"The only 'cause' I have now is to prevent you from stopping Mr. Whateley. I can see right through you. I was _like_ you just a short time ago. I fought against the Joining. We all did at first. But now I see things differently. And I know that whatever happens to me... "

"Yes?" prompted Kim.

The young woman smiled. "It will still be better than what is awaiting you two."

"What's that mean exactly?"

In unison all of the standing scientists said, "They're coming for you."

"Indeed they are."

The two teens whirled at the sound of the startlingly deep voice. Gideon Whateley had emerged from a doorway some twenty feet away, accompanied by another shiny-faced scientist. Instead of prisoner orange, Whateley was wearing the same antiquated clothes as thirty-something hours ago. And although Kim attributed this mainly to her current overwrought state of mind, he seemed even larger now, more physically imposing, than on their first meeting.

The redhead was expecting to be greeted by an expression of gloating triumph, but his features remained as severe as she remembered. He glared at Dr. Berkovich. "They have no weapons? No scientific devices of any kind?"

"No, sir. None."

Whateley moved closer but did not enter the circle of people with weapons pointed at the best friends. Kim sensed Ron's rising tension, indeed she shared it.

_If it's going to be mind control again, now's the time to do it. _

But she felt no intrusion into her consciousness, and neither teen started to glow the way they had back at the Whateley House.

_Is that because he's already mind controlling, umm, fifteen people that I can see here and has limits of effectiveness? Or is it just that he's so sure we aren't a threat to him that he doesn't need to bother? __The way he's keeping his hands in the pockets of his frock coat makes me think it's the latter. _

Whateley said, "My new... acolytes have told me about you. All about you - and him, too. They assured me you'd come if I threatened world destruction. Put yourselves willingly into my power.

"Armed with that knowledge I have made certain arrangements." His pale blue-grey eyes glittered. "And the indignities you have inflicted upon me, will be repaid a thousand-fold."

"Right. Well, don't wait _too _long to take your revenge, Whateley. I hear the end of the world is coming soon."

Kim half expected him to admit it was a bluff. Instead he said, "Yes, it is. Only a matter of minutes now."

"I... I can see that your new posse wouldn't get a say in that. But what about you? Somehow you don't seem like the live free or die type to me. Do you really prefer death to prison?"

"Neither is in my foreseeable future," he assured her. "Your altruistic nature has given me a third option."

"The Earth is about to be destroyed! Where are you gonna go?"

"Somewhere else." He almost seemed to smile at her confusion. Turning to the nearest scientist he demanded, "Bring over those restraints."

She glanced quickly toward Ron and even more quickly away from the despairing look he now wore.

_Th__at FBI Agent said this _wasn't _a suicide mission. That I'd figure out another way to stop Whateley once I was down here. But this 'amazingly resourceful young woman' has got nothing now. _

_No __other way to stop Whateley except than by killing myself - and Ron at the same time._

_'__If something was to happen on a mission, the one person who would not be to blame would be you.' _

_He told me that Friday night. __As if somehow he knew what was coming for us this weekend, and he wanted to give me advance permission to take whatever steps were necessary to carry out the mission. _

_But there__ has to be something I'm overlooking here. Something my too-tired brain isn't fully grasping. _

Kim ignored the approach of the two scientists holding several lengths of chain and looked desperately around her.

_Chanting scientists, other scientists with guns spaced out so if I attack one then __five others blast us, bizarro writing on the walls... Huh?_

She did a double take. Somehow, without anyone going anywhere near them, the painted symbols had changed. Some were larger, others had shifted their positions, and a few of the sort-of letters were now shimmering as if part of a neon sign.

_I don't know how that is happening, or what it means, but clearly it's not good for Ron or me. Nothing Whateley has planned for us is going to be pleasant. The __objective here is to make us suffer, big time, for our earlier defeat of him. _

"Put your hands out."

The teen considered the two scientists now standing barely a yard in front of her. _No way I'm getting out of those without Wade's special lockpicking gadgets on hand. _

"I'm not going to tell you again," growled a man in a sodden lab coat.

Instead of offering her hands, the teen remembered the words she had spoken to Ron minutes earlier.

_'__If the only thing he wanted was us dead, it would have already happened.'_

She turned that sentence over in her head a few times, then came to a decision. "Put 'em away, guys. Not gonna happen."

The men stared at each other, glanced back at Whateley, then started forward with faces contorted by rage.

A sweep kick sent the first tumbling backwards, and a left cross gave him a companion on the floor. They scrambled up to a standing position almost instantly and would have attacked again were it not for Whateley's cold, "Wait."

Kim had not pressed forward and the scientists all froze in place.

_They didn't fire! As keyed up and as tense as they all are, nobody took a shot at us. __That's good, of course. But I wish I knew why. _

She followed Whateley's gaze up and to the right and saw more of the painted symbols were glowing now. He faced her again. "Considering what the two of you will be confronting in the near future, you really should be conserving your strength."

"Try again, Gideon. Just because _you_ couldn't beat me even with all the advantages you had back at your house, doesn't mean it's impossible."

He glared at her for several seconds before tearing his gaze away. "Stop what you're doing," he told the chanters. "Come over here. You two, all four of you, and both of you. Take them down. Now."

The selected scientists handed over their guns but at no point were there less than a half dozen of the modified weapons trained on the two teens.

Without turning her head, almost without moving her lips at all, she whispered to Ron, "If you can lead a few of them away, I'll handle the rest."

"Okay," he breathed. In a louder voice he asked, "Is it true that the only exercise you scientific types get is lifting your lunch tray in the cafeteria? You all might qualify for egghead status, but as henchmen go... bottom of the class. Strictly, remedial. Oh, yeah, and Ms. Harvey? Your sister says that lab coat really makes you look fat."

The young woman was actually quite attractive, but for some reason Kim didn't understand, anger began to show on her features.

_Good. Get nice and mad and chase after __Ron. He's doing you a favor, believe me. Because I know you and all of your co-workers are just innocent victims here, but I can't let that deter me from what I have to do next. This is not going to be pretty. _

In an undertone she said, "Ready and... now!"

As soon as the last word was uttered, Kim launched herself forward. She jumped onto the shoulders of her nearest attacker and her downward momentum crushed him to the floor. The teen sprang up and her shoes struck another man with force enough to send him tumbling into the pair of scientists just behind him.

Kim dropped to a crouch to avoid another attacker, then while he was still off balance, she bolted upright and grabbed one of his outstretched arms. A twist brought him facing toward her so she could slam the top of her head against his nose. Hot breath flowed over her as she gripped his coat collar and belt. She spun on her heels and sent the man flying through the air several feet before colliding heavily with one of the gunmen. His weapon skittered across the floor, but in the exact opposite direction from her.

Taking advantage of the momentary diversion that offered, she dived into a sideways somersault and two revolutions later, snapped up to inflict midsection kicks to scientists on either side of her. They were not seriously hurt, so she knee-slammed the nearer man and caused his head to knock audibly against his fellow.

Kim whirled, had the briefest glimpse of Ron running away from the blonde woman and three other scientists (_Man, they're fast; he won't be able to keep up that pace for long_) and then started a cartwheeling motion toward her own attackers.

A last minute adjustment in course sent her at an angle to avoid a collision with the point man and smash into a woman behind him. Kim made sure the female scientist took the brunt of their impact with the floor, then she jumped to her feet to confront another opponent.

He missed with each of the punches directed toward her face, then she jabbed at his gut, and was about to clip his jaw when someone grabbed her from behind. Despite the remarkable strength evident in those fingers, Kim managed to wrench her arm free before the person could tighten the hold. The man in front of her had enough recovery time though, to reach out for her throat.

The teen bent her legs enough to drop down about eighteen inches and stretched an arm back to grab a fistful of long, presumably feminine hair. With a yank and a shoulder twist, she caused the two attackers to bump faces together. No real damage occurred but their surprise allowed Kim to get to her feet again and deliver a sequence of punches that laid them both out.

Breathing heavily the redhead watched six more members of the Analysis Section move to surround her. There were only two scientists holding guns now, one on either side of Whateley, and behind them was a stack of the modified weapons not currently in use.

_What__!? Poker face, Possible! And double check your numbers. Even the simplest math could be a problem right now after all you've been through this weekend. _

An instant later, her heart suddenly pounding even faster than before, Kim lunged toward the closest attacker. She feinted with her left, then her right fist darted out and he tumbled backwards with at least one broken tooth. She parried a woman's blow, then doubled her over with a punch to the stomach. Kim brought an elbow down on the back of her neck and she sank to the floor. The teen bent at the waist as another punch passed through the air where her head had been. Her left shoe snapped out to deliver a groin strike behind her, even as her right hand struck the chin of the woman who failed to land her own blow.

The teen rolled to one side, then swiveled on her bottom and drove her shins into the back of a woman's knees. She crumpled downward immediately but Kim couldn't draw both of her legs back in time and one foot was trapped under the falling scientist.

The unencumbered shoe slammed into the older female's skull and Kim yanked herself free. Before she could stand up again, however, she received her own kick to the side of the head. Seeing stars and hearing a whooshing noise that really wasn't there, her blindly groping fingers found her attacker's ankle in time to stop a second blow - if not a painfully bent thumb.

With all the strength that remained with her, Kim wrenched the man's leg until a sickening pop resulted. His other shoe was thrust at her face but with no force at all behind the blow. Then he sank quivering and moaning to the floor.

Back on her feet again Kim wearily eyed the pair of scientists still remaining. Both were slightly built females, and both were spinning lengths of chain over their heads. The iron manacles at the end made an ominous whistling noise as they sliced through the air.

"No killing," ordered Whateley. "But you have my permission to make her more... cooperative."

The women moved on opposite sides of Kim so she had to continually move her head in one direction, then the other.

_No! Not now, when there's actually the slightest glimmer of hope. __And not now because with every second that goes by I get weaker, slower, and probably dumber. _

The realization that she couldn't see or hear Ron anymore spurred her to desperate action. _Hey, a fifty-fifty chance beats about anything else I've faced over the last three days. _

Kim started toward one of the chain-wielding scientists, stopped herself, began to lean backward, then moved forward again. She was able to evade the length of steel aimed at her, but by a narrower margin than she had imagined. As her body thumped into the other woman, Kim threw an arm around her and caused them both to spin in place. As fast as they moved however, the other woman's chain would move faster still.

The teen could only scrunch up her eyes, raise her arms over her head, and wait for the blow to land.

_Fifty-fifty. _

She felt the links of the chain lightly curl around her upper shoulder and then the end land with a meaty thunk. Being only inches from the other, less fortunate woman, Kim could see her eyes roll up into her head, then the lids closed with a flutter.

Kim grabbed the length of chain before it could be drawn back and yanked it forcefully enough to pull the still attacking female off her feet. Her elbows struck the floor forcefully, but it was Kim's shoe that rendered her unconscious.

_Where's Ron? __What have they done with him? _

She started to spin one of the chains over her head and looked toward Whateley. Dr. Berkovich had also picked up a weapon so now there were three guns aimed at her from that direction.

_A bit of overkill, __boys, because even on a good day I couldn't get this chain all the way over to you. And maybe I won't even have to try. _

The teen made it revolve faster, and louder, shifting it from one hand to the other. She started walking toward them but stopped about halfway there. After eyeing each of the four in turn she released the chain and it flew straight up. When it struck the lighting fixture at the peak of the ceiling, a shower of sparks rained down. This was followed by an enveloping blackness, broken only by the now much more numerous glowing symbols, but a second or two later emergency lights activated which restored most of the previous illumination.

Kim Possible cradled the gun in her arms and worked to control her breathing. Presumably they realized she had recovered the weapon knocked out of the hands of a scientist earlier in the battle. A gun they had lost track of in the struggle to subdue she and Ron. Certainly Kim herself had forgotten about it until a quick count of the disused weapons showed her one was missing.

But the details were irrelevant now, the knowledge that her gun was pointed at the broadest part of Gideon Whateley's torso was all that mattered.

"I'm giving you exactly three seconds to order them to drop their weapons. Two... "

"Do as she says," ordered Whateley in a neutral tone.

When the three scientists had disarmed themselves, Kim said, "Now step away from Whateley. Farther.

"All right, Whateley. You are going to slowly raise your arms up above your head. Both arms, Whateley. Out of your pockets. Now!"

"I don't think so," he told her with chilling serenity, and a split second later she squeezed the trigger.

Nothing happened except that the scientists broke into broad grins.

Now Whateley presented his right hand to display the small electronic device he held. "I ordered that the guns be fitted with an off switch," was his matter-of-fact explanation. "And the controls on the other side here allow me to activate the metal destroying machines at the time of my choosing."

_Of course. _The weapon dropped from her suddenly numb fingers and clattered to the ground. She stared down at it blankly, then started to meet his exultant gaze again when a cry to the right drew her attention.

Ron had been bound up tightly with rope and was being carried bodily by a number of scientists. There was a large piece of adhesive tape by his mouth, but he must have worked it free somehow because he shouted, "Whateley, I'm the one you need to deal with here! I've got something you'll be-"

The tape was pressed back firmly into place and the blonde woman said, "I'm very sorry, Mr. Whateley. I know you wanted these two separated but he got away from us, just for a moment. I... We'll take him back now, sir."

The teen felt like she had been paralyzed again as she watched her best friend struggle furiously with his captors. She did nothing as he alternated between staring into her eyes and shaking his head violently from side to side.

His captors dragged him off down a narrow corridor that lead further away from the entrance. In seconds the group disappeared from her view, although she could hear his wordless sounds of struggle for a much longer period of time.

Kim started walking forward resignedly. _Game over._

* * *

(More Author Notes:

I can't say exactly when the next installment will go out, but it should wrap up the mission and the weekend for Kim and Ron. I'm afraid it may be a long chapter, and it will certainly end unhappily.

A Noprize goes out to the first reviewer who can explain why I decided the two best friends went to Hillridge Junior High.

Roderick Spode is borrowed, sort of, from the writings of P. G. Wodehouse.

Gideon Whateley was inspired by, but does not appear in, H. P. Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror."

Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All of the above characters are used here without permission from the respective copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	25. A Taste Of Hell

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and **graphic **violence.)

* * *

**25. A Taste Of Hell**

Monday Afternoon:

"There is a... presence in your mind that was not there the last time we met," said Gideon Whateley. "More of your Day Magic, I presume?" Without waiting for a reply he concluded, "Perhaps the courage necessary to face me a second time just couldn't come naturally to you... "

"No clue what you're talking about, Whateley," said Kim Possible. "But as long as one of us likes the sound of your voice, drone on." _As for my courage, you'll get a demonstration of that just as soon as I see you take your hand off the triggering control for the Doomsday Machines. _

They were about twenty feet apart now. There were four mind-controlled scientists standing between her and Whateley, but they hadn't bothered to pick up their modified weaponry again. Kim knew it had been rendered useless because of her earlier attempt to fire one of the guns.

One of the still conscious employees of the Analysis Section was a middle-aged Ukrainian physicist named Berkovich. Even though he was sweating heavily, the man seemed to pale slightly as he turned back to the towering Whateley. "Sir, there is no 'Day Magic' involved here. She couldn't have any type of technology with her. It's absolutely impossible! I personally supervised the scanning procedures before they were allowed down here. We went through every test in the book on the both of them - including a few that I designed myself."

When Whateley did not reply, Dr. Berkovich felt compelled to add, "Sir, believe me, there is no facility on Earth more impregnable than this one. Nothing gets in or out unless we know and approve it."

It was at that moment when something small and pink dropped onto Whateley's shoulder. The hairless skin was covered with streaks of dirt in several places but Kim knew it was Rufus even before he gave her a quick, insouciant wave.

She wasted valuable microseconds first recovering from astonishment, then looking over to see that the one and only entrance to the Analysis Section was still firmly closed. Forcing the mystery of the naked mole rat's sudden appearance from her thoughts, she sprang up onto the shoulders of the nearest scientist and used her as a springboard for a longer leap forward.

Surprise had caused Whateley to draw his right hand from his coat pocket - without the control device.

"Rufus, there's a gadget in there. Get it!"

He moved without hesitation, which was fortunate because an instant later Whateley's grasping fingers reached the spot he had just vacated. Kim's drop kick staggered Whateley for a moment, and Rufus dove into the pocket she had indicated.

Realizing he would need a further distraction, the teen drove a shoe into the back of Whateley's right leg, but she might as well have attempted to kick over a Sequoia. Her blow seemed to have no impact at all except that one of his hands reached down and closed around her throat. She was lifted up as effortlessly as a toy and shaken until her teeth clicked together. No doubt he intended to slam her into the wall nearby, but with a cry of pain and surprise he suddenly dropped her to the floor.

Kim half staggered, half crawled a dozen feet away, and when her vision cleared again, she saw Rufus moving his jaws up and down with his face contorted as if he had tasted something nasty. The triggering device was in his arms. Glowering, Whateley rubbed at a place on his thigh and then raised one of his misshapen feet in a threatening manner.

"Rufus, come here! Give me the thing! Okay, now down that way; try to find Ron!"

Kim stood up again and briefly considered the remote control. None of its buttons or dials was labeled, and it was impossible to tell which would activate the metal dissolving machines and which had neutralized the electronic guns. She thrust it into a front pocket of her cargo pants and looked upwards.

"Guess Team Whateley really isn't 'all that'," she told the man who glared over at her.

The tufts of hair at his temples, and the wispy beard at the end of his pointed chin actually seemed to quiver slightly in suppressed anger, but his voice was untroubled as he told her, "We shall see."

He raised a hand into the air and the fingers began to flutter. There was a strange reverberation to his voice as he intoned, "Llathraq cuotien shinte'er."

When he was done, his arm lowered and every prostrate scientist suddenly sprang up from the floor. As one they turned toward Whateley and Kim noticed that a few of them had their eyes closed.

_Even knocked out or... dead, they still have to obey him. _

"Gather up the weapons," ordered Whateley. "_All_ the weapons. Stand guard by the door. But not you."

This last sentence was directed toward Dr. Berkovich. "Take a gun and watch that corridor. Both the boy and the... rodent are favored by Hanuman. If either makes an attempt to return... " The iceberg eyes shifted back to Kim for a moment. "You know what to do."

Turning his full attention back to the teen he said, "You will be handing over that remote. Soon. The only question remains how much unpleasantness will befall you before it happens."

She tilted her head to one side a little. "You mean things could get worse for me?" _At the first hint that he's coming inside my brain again, I blow him into tiny little pieces. _

_What am I saying? That happens no matter what. It's the end of the line for him - and me. As weird as Rufus' appearance here might be, nothing's changed. If anybody - or anything - else were going to pop up, it would have happened by now. _

_So finish the job.  
_

_Kill him. Splatter his guts over every wall of this lab. Make him sorry he ever laid a hand on you. Teach him that when you mess with Kim Possible, there is a heavy price to be paid. Oh, but it would be so much more enjoyable if I could clue him in on the secret right before I do it. _

_Enjoyable? _

_Where did _that _come from?_

_Okay, Possible, let's try to hold on to at least a couple of marbles while the fate of the world is in your hands. _

With a start she realized he had begun moving toward her. She gave ground just as quickly and kept the same distance between them. When he stopped, she stopped.

"Look around you," he commanded. "Our time on the Earth, mine and yours, is coming to an end. You need to be preparing yourself for what comes next."

Kim noticed that almost all of the painted letters were glowing now and some of the larger symbols were spinning. "So... we're heading to outer space?"

"No. Not as you understand it. I am going to the Dreamlands, a world similar in many ways to this one, but where magic is superior to technology."

"Sounds perfect for you. Why didn't you leave a long time ago?" _Then I might be able to measure my remaining life span in years, not minutes._

"The DeGrandin Barrier has been in place for more than half a century."

_Whatever that means._ "And now you've found a way to get around it?" He nodded. "Which has something to do with Ron and me?"

"Correct." He eyed her speculatively. "I suppose you were told melodramatic stories of human sacrifices being conducted at the house where we first met."

Kim felt a prickling sensation between her shoulder blades. "Yes."

"Untrue. I don't _sacrifice_ the human beings that come into my grasp. I bargain very shrewdly with their lives."

The teen became aware that her pulse had started to pound again. "In exchange for what?"

"Ensorcelled things. Weapons, jewelry, books... servants. Items that no museum on Earth today can provide for me."

_I knew the contents of that house represented criminal activity on a massive scale, but if even a small percentage of those possessions came his way by murder... _

"And what do you have to show for it all now, Whateley? Your toys have been taken away. Forever."

The massive tendons on the back of one hand tightened visibly. "I realize that. Which is why death is too merciful for you."

"Right. Yeah. So, who did you... trade those people to?"

"They're called The Fallen Ones. A cult of renegade Yithians."

"What did they want them for?"

Whateley gave her an I'm-glad-you-asked-that look. "Understand that the Yithians - the Great Race as they are sometimes called - have psionic abilities that allow them complete access to all of Time and Space. Material things do not interest them, except as trading fodder for lesser beings. What drives the Cult is a hunger, a psychic addiction, to the pain and torment of living things."

"And you turned people over to them in exchange for a few magical trinkets? Knowing what they would face?"

"I did. Over and over again."

_He's goading me._ _Whether the story is true or not - and I'm afraid that it is - he's trying to get me to become so outraged that I blindly attack him. I suppose I should be flattered that he considers me any kind of a threat at all now, given how much bigger and stronger he is than me. Not to mention how much more rested and-_

_That's the second time I've noticed him covertly rubbing his elbow against his side. Why? That's not where Rufus bit him, and I can't think of anything I did on Sunday morning to cause an injury there. _

"The Cult has existed for centuries," continued Whateley. "Long enough to turn torture into an art form. But even with all that expertise, they tend to go through their stock rather quickly. And I've heard complaints that the humans of this time period are too physically and emotionally fragile.

"That's why I wanted to get you and your lover down here. The two of you promise long term entertainment value."

_Like that Harvey woman said, there _are_ some things worse than death. _"So you played us up big, did you? Made us seem like we'd be a real crowd-pleasing attraction."

"I did. Once I deliver you both, I will be transported to the Dreamlands. Probably with additional rewards as well."

"So why destroy the Earth? It's not like the police or the military will be able to serve an arrest warrant on you in another dimension."

"I will allow no one else to take possession of my home or my collection."

"Huh. Way to act your age, Whateley. With a maturity level like that, I'm surprised you can even bear to hand me over at all. I'm sure you wish your revenge could be more direct. More personal."

"Your torment, your agony will be satisfaction enough, regardless of who inflicts it upon you."

_Well, aren't you broadminded? But I'm not buying it. There's a bloodlust inside of you. Hey, that's why you decided six billion people have to be punished for your earlier defeat. _

_Of course there's a plus side here, as well. If you hadn't ordered that all the guns down here be turned lethal, you could have easily beat Ron and me just by zapping us unconscious as soon as we stepped through the first door. _

_Maybe that character flaw can be put to good use one more time. _

Aloud she said, "Whateley, I can't believe you would let the opportunity go by to try for some measure of vengeance on me. Sure, bad times are headed my way, but not from you.

"You were beaten by a seventeen year old girl, Gideon. Man, that's gotta irk you some. Don't you want another go at it?"

"You're of no value to me dead, wench. The Cult needs their victims intact."

"So? You're a thief, Whateley. Been one longer than any criminal I've ever known. Steal a bit of their fun and give me a partial payment for all the grief I laid down on you."

"Stop your prattling, Squib. And hand over that remote."

_Ron is so much better at this than me. Yeah, usually without even meaning to! But I have to keep trying._ "Is it true what I was told about your father? Him being a thief, too, I mean?"

"Silence, Whore-spawn," he growled, turning away to consider the state of the painted symbols.

"But he wasn't very good at it, was he?"

He replied only with an animalistic snarl.

"And what a way for a crook to go, torn apart by a pack of watch dogs while he tried to steal a library book."

His eyes were back upon her now, fury narrowing them to slits.

"Too bad you never had any kids of your own, Whateley. Nobody to hand down that proud moment of family history."

He came toward her quickly enough for the edge of his coat to flap backwards a few inches and Kim realized there was a dark stain visible on the shirt he wore underneath it.

_That's the spot on his chest I've seen him rubbing his elbow against. But it's dark green, not red..._

_Oh, right. _

Kim watched his rapid approach, with his outstretched arms raised up to the height of her throat. Forcing herself to not retreat was hard, resisting the urge to close her eyes while she did so even more so.

_If I'm wrong about the length of his arms... _

As soon as his clammy fingers first brushed against her neck, she drew her legs up tight to her chest so that he had to suddenly support her full weight. This caused him to lean forward perhaps another inch and may have contributed slightly to the impact of her right and then left shoes lashing out against the place on his torso where the now out-of-sight stain seemed to be centered. The tightening grip on her throat prompted the teen to keep her heels thumping against his ribcage faster and harder.

After perhaps twenty such kicks he dropped her to the floor. Resisting the very strong impulse to back away from him, Kim scrambled onto her hands and feet, lunged to one side to avoid a kick of his right leg, and then sprang up, her body just inches away from his.

She jabbed her thumbs into his eyes and twisted them. Then the fingers of her left hand grabbed onto his meager beard while her right fist hammered his nose and mouth a half dozen times in as many seconds.

_Hitting him is like pounding on a brick wall. Even with Wade's special protective gloves, I can really feel it. _

Whateley managed to bring his arm up between them and Kim was thrust backwards ten feet or more, to land heavily on one shoulder, hip, and then the side of her head. She shook off the pain and regained her footing only just in time to avoid the kick, which instead crumbled a steel-walled equipment locker to half its original size.

Kim darted forward several paces, then turned to gauge his own progress. There were three different streaks of green fluid visible now on his face, and his left eye was already swelling quite noticeably.

She was wondering how badly his vision would be impaired on that side, when the image of an orange and red fireball suddenly flashed into her brain.

_It will be so pretty. Like a fireworks display. And if anybody in this world deserves death, it's this... thing before me._

She shook her head violently from side to side. _Okay, _if _that has to happen, it will be to save humankind, not out of a desire for retribution. _

Kim moved to what she hoped would be just outside of his striking range, trying to keep to his left as much as possible.

One of his big hands darted out at her and she chopped at the underside of his wrist. The pain this caused her, however, made her think she got the worst of the exchange. The next time he did that, she feigned another side hand strike but then gripped his wrist instead.

As he pulled his arm back, she jumped forward so that his strength and her own combined to increase the impact of her shoulder slam against his stomach. She drove her left forearm into his throat, and a knee into his side, although not as close as to his apparent injury as she would have liked. Undeterred, the teen aimed her right fist squarely at his unimpaired eye. Again and again she landed blows there, too many to count and would have continued in that mindless fashion until someone's bones had shattered.

Whateley started backing up unsteadily, and Kim kept pushing him off balance. After moving two or three paces, it was clear he was about to topple over, so she knelt down and then kicked off. When they struck the floor, Kim was on top of him with her knees on his belly and both her forearms pressing against his neck. There was a distinct cracking sound when his head hit the floor.

She got to her feet shakily. Whateley lay motionless on his back, limbs sprawled out and eyes closed.

She couldn't speak at first, as she struggled to regain her breath. Glancing around her, Kim saw Dr. Berkovich and the scientists by the entrance were now milling about in a confused, aimless manner.

The teen started to walk around Whateley in a wide circle. Changing her vantage point allowed her to see the long fissure in the ceramic tile that his head rested upon. And when his eyes snapped open again, they were focused directly on her.

Something close to a whimper escaped from Kim as she started to move away, but Whateley did not pursue her immediately. Instead, he raised up his hands with the backs toward her. As she watched, the ends of his fingers began to enlarge and darken, while the nails elongated and formed a jagged, saw-toothed edge. A second later, a thick yellow-green liquid began to ooze slowly into view from the nail tips.

She briefly considered whether this might be poison, then the realization struck her like a physical blow. _Whatever that stuff is, it allows him to control anyone who gets it into their bloodstream. _

"One scratch will be sufficient," Whateley said, confirming her own thoughts. "When my essence is within you, you will gladly join my cause. Not just bodily, your thoughts and desires will also be devoted to serving my will."

A defiant retort was called for here, but Kim's chest suddenly felt very tight. _That's all. It's done. I can't fight someone I don't dare come near. I've been beaten. _

_But my defeat doesn't have to, will not become, his victory. Not with what I brought down here. _

The teen forced her throat to start working again. "Okay, Whateley. It's the last act of this movie and there won't be a sequel. No more delaying the inevitable.

"I... I'm thinking it's time for this to be settled one way or the other. C'mon, before I change my mind.

"Move!"

And he did, not quite running but crossing the distance between them at a rapid pace. She had decided the explosion would come just as his nails made contact with her flesh to ensure maximum impact.

_Just a few more feet now, _she thought as her inner vision focused on the contours of the device within her. _It really is the most incredible piece of engineering I've ever seen..._

_He's standing right in front of me. But with such a wary look on his face. Don't be afraid, Gideon. It's going to be amazing!_

Behind her back, the teen's fists were so tightly clenched she was sure that the nails would cut into her palms even through the fabric of her gloves.

_That's the spot there. Where all the silvery wires converge at the top. Concentrate, and be ready to give it the tiniest little mental nudge. Such an easy thing to do and yet the payoff will be so powerful. _

_(don't be so quick to act. think about what you're doing.)_

Kim had to lock her knees together because the muscle tremors in her legs made it seem that she wouldn't be able to remain standing much longer.

_I hope the security cameras down here survive the blast. I know Mom and Dad will want to watch the explosion over and over again. _

_(what?)_

_Okay, he's bringing his arm toward me. Where's he going to touch me? Stomach? That would be ironic, huh? Wait, his hand is lifting up higher. Oh, right, the face. Probably thinks he'll get a nice long look at the disfiguring cut it'll make there. _

_Hah! We'll just see about that. _

_Say, I wonder if the surveillance equipment down here is hi-def. This explosion is going to be as pretty as the opening of a flower's petals._

_(no! need to focus. regain control of my own thoughts.)_

Her teeth were grinding together until Kim thought she could taste blood in her mouth as his forefinger approached her left cheek.

_Only centimeters to go! But I wish he'd get a move on already. I have a masterpiece to create here. What's that old saying about 'Art in the blood' anyway?_

_(this isn't whateley's doing. what's happening to me?)_

Just as her body was about to humiliate her once more, Whateley suddenly tensed up and his one unswollen eye widened in surprise. "It's _here,_" he muttered, in an incredulous tone. "How can that be?"

He took a step backwards and glanced around him. When Kim did the same, she saw the scientists were all collapsing to the floor.

_I don't know why, but his concentration is off again. No telling how long it'll last this time, so I should attack him. Right now. _

_But what would that do to the plan? Don't forget there's only one true path to victory here. _

_(that's not true! use _all _of your brain to think about this.) _

She took a step toward Whateley and worked to regain her inward focus on the explosive's triggering switch.

_The fireball will be like a warm embrace. A blanket to protect you from any other cares or worries._

At that moment Ron came jogging up the corridor he had been dragged down minutes earlier. His clothes were torn in places, and there was a raw, red spot on his face. He was alone except for the naked mole rat scampering along beside him. The teen was holding a piece of dully glinting metal up in one hand.

"Yo, eyes on me, dude! Look what I've got here!"

A heated fury filled the controlling portions of Kim Possible's brain. _Can't you do anything right, Stoppable? I almost had this one in the Win column and you come along and screw it up!_

_Now I have to hold back. Vengeance is _not _mine, thanks to you... loser. _

_(he isn't! he's come to help you. protect you. from yourself.)_

_But do I really have to give in? Is it my fault if he shows up where he's not needed? _

_No, it isn't. Anyway, maybe I'd be doing him a favor after all. The explosion is going to be so... exquisite, he might be able to share a part of it with me. There should be enough satisfaction and, yeah, pleasure for the both of us. _

_One last gift to my BFF..._

At that moment the teen sank to the floor as two opposing parts of her brain went to war with each other. Her arms and legs refused mental directions; so did her closed eyelids, but her ears still functioned.

Ron: "It's over, Giddy. You've lost! Everything! Your house, all your stolen loot, the ability to keep below the radar of the cops. It's been flushed away, and you're about to join it. Give it up!"

Whateley: "You actually believe _that_ can give you a victory here. Over me?"

Ron: "No doubt about it. Surrender now or I make your yesterdays not so warm and fuzzy."

Whateley, after a lengthy pause: "You have no idea of the forces, the eldritch powers you are toying with here. In your blind ignorance you are stumbling about like a gnat in a tornado."

"Kinda my life story, champ. Now give up or get erased from the hard drive of life."

"Do you really wish to see the true nature of your chosen weapon, boy? Let me oblige you."

There was a pause, a flash of energy that she sensed rather than observed, and Ron emitted a long, low moan of pain that pierced through Kim's inner turmoil.

_(he needs me! get out of my head!)_

_He's keeping you from your destiny! Your greatest accomplishment. Do you want the world to think that at the time they needed you most, you just didn't have the nerve, the willpower to take that final step? _

Ron's voice came to her again, anguish drawing out the words, "Okay.. Didn't know it could do that... "

"Say again?" asked Whateley, his own voice more energetic and enthusiastic than she had ever known it to be. "You want some more? Well, certainly, boy. You have but to ask."

An inarticulate wail of torment filled the room despite its low volume. Then Ron started to call her name but before the final consonant could be uttered, he was abruptly silenced.

A moment later Kim thought she felt a slight rippling sensation in her stomach, and the other internal voice disappeared.

_Of course I knew about the "mental link" between me and the bomb. Fowler, the FBI guy, told me that right from the start. But it would have been freakin' nice to be warned that messages could travel in both directions. That the device was programmed to make sure its '_mailman'_ wouldn't chicken out, and could even override their thought processes to a certain extent, so they'd be less likely to hold back from detonation. _

_It was beatable, finally, but it still used up valuable seconds to do it. _

_Ron!_

The teen stood up again as quickly as her knotted muscles would allow and looked frantically about her. Whateley's features were twisted by what she assumed was his attempt at a smile. He was staring down at the motionless figure of Ron Stoppable, who's own face was set in an agonized frozen grimace while his eyes stared upwards, unblinking, lifelessly.

* * *

_If I still had a connection to my body,_ _I'd cover my ears, turn my head away, or better yet, just go running off in another direction - any other direction. But when you're dead, it can really limit your options._

Yet another memory crashed into Ron's consciousness. He was five years old at his Aunt Esther's funeral and his Cousin Reuben was insisting he pay his final respects. 'Just one kiss on her cheek, to show your love for her.'

The recollection of straining futilely against the larger boy's grip on his jacket, and the scuff marks his shoes made on the linoleum as he was dragged over to the open casket, were more clear and vivid in his mind than any recent life experience.

Even as he again stared down at the desiccated, heavily painted features of the deceased woman, a new recollection emerged from just a year ago. After months of virtually no contact at all, Zita had called him. Initially apprehensive, his responses became more animated as their conversation ranged from teachers, to on-line games, to movies they both enjoyed, and he was about to invite her to check out a new ice cream parlor that had opened in town when she asked with feigned casualness, "So, Ron, is Felix seeing anyone?"

Then, ten years before that, while playing hide and seek at Kim's house, he had knocked a plaster cast of her baby feet off of a shelf and it had shattered into countless pieces. Confessing this to her mother was excruciating enough, and then, when he finally forced himself to look up at her as he stammered out his apology he saw not anger, but a tear run slowly down the side of her nose...

He was propelled forward once more to his Freshman Year of High School and the bitter, bitter taste of the lunch Kim had shared with him a few hours after he had cravenly handed over all the money he possessed to the so-called 'Kings of D Hall'.

Next came the time when Kim's father, out of sight but unfortunately not completely out of earshot, had said, "Anne, you _know_ I like the boy, but he needs to spend more time at his own house."

This was followed by the much earlier memory of his mother's voice, weary and irritated at the same time, saying, "No, I will not accept any more collect calls from him, and I wish you people would stop enabling this ridiculous behavior." And the weight of the collected stares of all the camp counselors packed into the Administration Office threatened to grind him into the carpet he stood upon.

Then he got to relive every one of those thirty-nine rain-soaked minutes he had spent crouched down in the thorny, bug-infested shrubbery of the house across the street from Josh Mankey's home. For thirty-nine minutes Kim was alone with the boy, no, the young man, until Monkey's father had finally shown up. Kim and Josh were supposed to be organizing an Art Fair for Middleton High, but Ron knew what the real story was. His imagination had supplied a very graphic answer to the question of what really went on behind that closed door.

Next, or actually a few years earlier, came another overheard conversation, this time between his own parents. His father started off. "You know, even leaving aside my allergies for the moment, I don't think he's responsible enough to take care of a pet."

"I'm painfully aware of that," snapped back his mother. "But we have to consider it."

"Why?"

"Elliot, have you looked at Kimmie recently? I mean really looked at her? Well, I was at their school on Tuesday and the boys her age are starting to do just that. She's going to be a beauty and we have to prepare for the possibility that this friendship may be in its final days. So you tell me what else Ronnie has in his life right now to fill that void?"

The only answer was an oppressive silence.

_Okay, so now I understand why people try to avoid the whole dying thing for as long as possible. For some of us at least, having your life flash before your eyes is just adding insult to fatal injury. _

_But none of these memories is as painful as knowing that when Kim needed me most, I failed her. I thought the magic of the Silver Key could be a secret weapon to use in the fight against Whateley. Yeah, well, it got used all right. On me. And now Kim's probably getting her own taste of it. First, the death ray that Whateley can make shoot out of the key, then the memories. But I'm guessing the only bad experience KP will have to relive is meeting me on the first day of Pre-school._

_Life is - was - so much better when you don't think, Stoppable! For everybody!_

_Yeah, but on the bright side, a screw up this major can only happen once, since I have now pretty much guaranteed that Whateley wins and the World ends. _

Ron was lamenting the irony that the dead were denied the mercy of suicide when suddenly he found himself back in his body, lying on the floor of the Analysis Section, his eyes focused on the broken light fixtures many feet above him.

_I'm alive? Well, sort of. And now I know what it feels like to be puréed, or at least have all my muscles turn to jelly. _

Although he felt as sluggish as if he was at the bottom of a fondue pot, the teen managed to raise himself onto one knee and stare blankly around him.

Rufus was close by, on his back, legs limp and quivering. "Boots... Heavy boots," he squeaked softly. "Stomping... Crushing... And nobody has any cheese!" About a foot away from the mole rat, the Silver Key sparkled a bit too brightly given the reduced lighting.

_Man, talk about taking one for the Team... But where's Kim? If I'm not dead, maybe she isn't either._

In slow motion, he turned his head to the left and then the right, locating Kim Possible on the other side of the room. Whateley had her backed up against one of the Section's curved walls, his hands poised menacing in front of her. But even across this distance, Ron could see she wore a look of grim satisfaction.

He tried to call out but a low gurgling noise was the only result. Ron struggled to stand up, fell twice, then decided crawling would be more efficient. By marshaling every bit of resolve he possessed, Ron managed to get his hands and feet into position to begin edging forward.

_Move, Stoppable! For once in your life do something fast! _

Whateley's outstretched fingers slashed at Kim's face. She knocked his arm to one side and kicked him with each shoe in turn landing on a place where a dark stain showed through his frock coat. A trembling seemed to go through his body, but he did not back away.

His left hand stretched out for her next. She grabbed his wrist and used his own momentum to draw his arm forward so that his fingers collided with the wall behind her. His nails scraped away layers of paint as they traveled along the curved surface, and some of the fingers now pointed out at unnatural angles.

Whateley then aimed a kick of his own, but Kim evaded it by dodging to one side. His shoe punched effortlessly through fiberboard and then produced a distinct clanging noise as it made contact with the five-inch thick metal barrier that formed the outer shell of the Analysis Section.

Pain, surprise, or both caused Whateley to become statue rigid. But not Kim. She pushed off from the wall with her hands and feet, and her knees struck the bigger man's chest while his weight still rested on one leg.

Whateley toppled over like a axed tree. Ron winced at the noise the man's head made when it struck the floor, but his best friend seemed less charitably inclined. Still poised on his chest, she grabbed fist fulls of hair and slammed his skull against the floor four more times almost quicker than the eye could follow.

Scrambling to her feet, the teen kicked down on that spot on his torso that had already received so much attention from her. She put both strength and mass into the blow, but before it could be repeated, Whateley brought an arm up and clamped his uninjured hand onto her ankle.

Instantly, Kim threw herself to one side, which caused Whateley to experience the sensation of having his arm suddenly twist at a 90-degree angle while an unpleasant grating noise filled the air.

Both opponents regained their footing at the same time. They faced toward each other and both seemed obvious to anything else. From Ron's perspective Kim was standing directly in front of Whateley, but the huge difference in their heights meant his face was still visible.

_Man, I didn't think there was any more room for ugly there, but I was wrong. It looks like Whateley had been run over by a convoy of bulldozers_, _and yet, he's still on his feet and seems ready to go another couple of dozen rounds. He's got alien DNA in him, which means he can take punishment that would put any regular guy -any five regular guys - out of commission for a long time. _

_But after all she's suffered through this weekend, what's Kim got left inside of her to tap into? _

His best friend started moving backward, and for a moment Ron believed she had finally reached the limit of human endurance.

Then when nearly twenty feet separated the two, she halted and placed her right hand against the small of her back. The fingers flexed once before forming a tight fist.

Kim started running forward, faster and faster, her borrowed shoes drumming along the floor tiles.

Whateley saw it coming but took no defensive action. Perhaps the injuries to his arm and hand were too severe. Maybe he misjudged just how quickly she could cover the distance between them. Then again, it might have been something in Kim's expression that made him hesitate. Certainly there was a strange look on his face as she approached.

When Kim was still three paces away, her fist shot forward as if launched by a catapult. When it struck Whateley's chin, he suddenly developed the power of flight. His body hurtled through the air for a 180-degree revolution before striking the wall face first. He stayed in place for a moment, as if held in place by something sticky, and then rest of his body seemed to flow along the curved surface until coming to rest on the floor.

He remained motionless until the redhead kicked his upper arm, the one that covered his face from view. The blow shifted Whateley up to one side, but he sank back onto his stomach an instant later.

"Get up," snarled Kim, as she kicked him twice more. When he didn't stir, she bent over and grabbed hold of his coat labels. Raising him up caused his head to strike the wall once more, and Ron decided that was not a mistake on the part of his best friend.

Kim wasn't tall enough to lift Whateley completely off the floor, but the shaking she gave his upper torso made his head loll spasmodically. When that didn't cause his eyes to open, she knocked him against the wall twice more.

"Wake up! I'm not done with you yet."

Ron had managed to return to a standing position, and was close enough now to place a hand on her shoulder. She whirled, her face contorted with a murderous ferocity that almost caused him to back away. She had to stare at him for several seconds before her features softened. Her eyes flicked over to the place where Ron had lain unconscious, then back to him.

Her mouth opened but nothing emerged except exhaled breath.

"Let him go," said Ron quietly. "It's over."

As if in a daze, Kim looked slowly from his face to Whateley's, or at least to what was visible there beneath the splashes of green liquid. She slammed him against the wall one last time, and then tossed him onto the floor.

Kim turned back to Ron, her expression showing defiance. Then that melted away and in a barely audible tone she said, "I thought you were dead."

"I thought so, too, for a while there," he replied, his volume matching hers.

"And I came so very, very close to joining you." A shudder made her shoulders twitch. "But you know what held me back, the second time I mean? What made me... delay things was that I didn't just want him to... "

Her lower lip started to quiver and she had to breathe in and out very deeply before she could speak again. "It wasn't enough just to kill Whateley, even though I absolutely knew I was going to do that." She closed her eyes tightly before concluding, "I wanted him to suffer first... "

She seemed to force herself to meet his gaze, as if afraid of seeing disapproval there. But concern quickly replaced apprehension on her features. "You don't look... I... What did he do to you?"

He was struggling to come up with a flippant reply when, out of nowhere, a sob burst out of him. Her arms were around him in an instant, her hand on the back of his head. With his face pressed against her hair, he gasped out, "I thought I... I had messed up... So bad... Not even you... "

She hugged, and caressed, and shushed him until he fell silent again, but even in the ecstasy of that moment he was aware that she had swiveled the two of them a few degrees to one side so she could keep better watch on Whateley.

With willpower he didn't know he possessed, Ron gently but insistently broke the embrace. Kim was crying, too, now, but her eyes were focused intently upon him and there was an expectant look on her face.

He cleared his throat and wiped his eyes with a sleeve. "I don't know about you, KP. But I'm thinking it might be time to ask for a raise."

When she had finally returned a small portion of his smile, he asked, "So what number is this one anyway? Nine? Ten?"

Her brows moved together until she could decipher his question. "The save-the-world thing? Seven, I think. Or maybe eight." She took another look in Whateley's direction before asking, "What happened to Rufus?"

"He's over here. C'mon."

"Is he all right?" But even as Kim asked the question, Rufus turned his head weakly in their direction.

Ron gently lifted him off the floor, and cradled him in his arms. "How you doing, buddy? You okay?"

The mole rat raised a paw and rotated his wrist in one direction, then the other. "So so."

"But why is he so dirty?" asked Kim. "And how did he get here?"

"Well, he said something before about a plane ride with no in-flight movie or meal."

"It would have to be a rocket to get him out here from Middleton this fast."

Ron considered this. "Then Spode was behind it. I heard he had arranged for a supersonic plane to be turned over to GJ."

She frowned. "The man loves his little surprises, doesn't he?" Caressing her stomach again she added, "And believes in achieving victory by any means necessary."

"Hey buddy, you must be whipped if you had to dig all the way down here. We're miles underground."

"Eight hundred feet," corrected Kim. "And he wouldn't have to dig _all_ the way. Remember they told us they had borrowed some excavation machines. I'd guess they took him to the outer edge of the Section's sensor range, and he dug over from there. Apparently he's too small to set off any alarms."

"Small, but a big, big help when I needed it most. Man, am I glad you showed up when you did, buddy!"

"Not anymore than me," insisted Kim. "Believe me, Rufus. After this weekend, I will never, _ever,_ take you for granted again."

As she stroked the top of the mole rat's head, Ron asked, "So, _now _do I get to hear about the gadget Spode set you up with?"

"Huh. Yeah." She looked back toward Whateley once again, then over at the mystical key, before making a low, humorless laughing noise. "It's, ahh... I'm sure we're going to think it's sort of funny someday... Some far off day..." Her smile died a premature death. "Well, anyway, two days ago I did promise I'd tell you what an emetic was.

"Wait a minute, though. If Rufus brought you the key, then what was the plan you tried to tell me about before we came down here?"

Ron knew she was attempting to change the subject but her reason to do so was unclear to him. Before he could challenge her on it, however, unexpected things began to happen.

The painted symbols and letters on the walls suddenly burst into flame and yet conversely, the temperature of the air around them began to drop with incredible speed.

"KP, what is it? What's going on?"

Her head moved in various directions, clearly as puzzled as he. She started to shake her head and muttered, "I don't... I... "

Then her eyes got bigger and he followed her line of sight upwards to see that a welter of swirling purple grey mist was forming into an oval some ten feet across. At its center the haze began to clear to reveal a large stone-walled chamber fashioned in a thoroughly alien architectural style. Within that room were scores of beings of all sizes and shapes and colors, none of which were human in appearance.

"I guess we really shouldn't be surprised about this," said Kim, raising her voice to be heard over the whooshing noise coming from the opening. "We were warned."

"We were?"

"Yeah. The brainwashed scientists told us about it."

"They did?"

"Uh huh. I believe the exact words were, 'They're coming for you.' "

* * *

(More author notes:

At the end of my last posting I said Chapter Twenty Five "should wrap up the mission and the weekend for Kim and Ron," but once again I had underestimated the time (and word count) required to tell the story. I apologize for that, but adding another installment to the total seems more considerate to readers than asking them to suffer through a chapter that would otherwise far exceed ten thousand words.

Wilbur Whateley (father of Gideon), the Dreamlands, the Yithians, and the Silver Key all first appeared in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft.

Most of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos stories were published in the Weird Tales pulp magazine, which also featured the adventures of Seabury Quinn's occult adventurer, Jules DeGrandin.

Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and Rufus (!) were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All of the above characters and concepts are used here without permission from the copyright holders but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.)


	26. Disconnecting, Part One

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**26. Disconnecting, Part 1**

Monday Afternoon:

Ron Stoppable ran his gaze over the alien beings visible through the widening portal. "Okay, but _why_ are they coming? And who - or what - are they?" The air in the Analysis Section was now cold enough for his breath to be visible.

"Business associates of Whateley," said Kim Possible in clipped tones. "No time to fill you in on all the details, so I'll just say they don't have our best interests at heart."

"Okay. Any ideas?"

"Ah... None to speak of." Her hand fluttered over her stomach a moment before being drawn back hastily. "But, hey, you've got those mad button-pushing skills, so how about trying to get the doors open?"

His eyes moved from her face to the control panel next to the A/S entranceway, but before he could make any type of reply, Rufus suddenly slapped a tiny palm again his forehead.

"Buttons! Forgot!"

He leapt off of Ron's shoulder and skittered over toward the door, detouring around several unconscious scientists along the way.

The best friends exchanged puzzled looks, then turned back to the aliens. Several of them resembled the goblins they had fought at Whateley's house, although these seemed larger and their skin tones were more varied. Most of them were armed with long sticks, like Bo staffs but with thorny spikes at each end. These were shaken over their heads in menacing gestures while they silently glared at the two teens.

"Okay, I know henchmen when I see 'em," said Ron. "Henchthings anyway. So I'm guessing it's those other five who are calling the shots here."

He was referring to the still taller cone-shaped beings whose rubbery hides had an oily green-grey sheen. They had bobbing eyestalks that moved independently of each other and irregular trunk-like limbs that ended in strange appendages that he couldn't guess the purpose of.

"Yeah. Whateley called them Yithians. You do _not_ want to hear about their preferred hobby."

One of the Yithians shifted its position a few feet with a snail-like wriggling and came before a pedestal of multi-colored lights and knobs. A shimmering rectangle was twisted a few degrees and then a column of yellow light came through the portal.

It started toward the teens and Kim grabbed a fistful of Ron's mission shirt. No doubt she intended to pull him out of harm's way if necessary, but the beam reversed course and moved over to where Gideon Whateley lay.

As soon as the light touched him, he began to stir.

"No." At first his voice was thick and ragged, but it quickly rose in volume and urgency. "We had a deal. I'm not the one you want. No!"

The beam shifted over to a more orange hue and he began to rise up. "No! Aq'tah! Kesh entong! I'm the grandson, the kwaln'gah of - This isn't-"

By the time his flailing body passed through the opening, all speech - English or otherwise - had been abandoned and he was screaming incoherently. The sounds of terror continued long after his levitated figure was lost to view.

"Maybe they'll be content with one," murmured Kim. "Write it off as a bad loss."

"Even though they were promised two?" demanded Ron.

"Uh, yeah."

The beam of yellow light returned from the stone walled chamber on the other side of the gateway, and traced a slow, meandering path over the floor tiles. They watched its course as if hypnotized until becoming aware it had cut them off from the exit.

Kim clamped a hand onto his wrist. "Rufus! Stay out of sight! Don't let it come near you!"

With a jerk, she yanked Ron in the opposite direction, toward the offices that lined the narrower corridor that he had been taken down before.

"Keep moving!" she shouted when he stumbled over a cracked floor tile, and somehow increased her own speed so that his shoes scarcely needed to touch the ground at all.

He risked a backward glance and saw the column of light was keeping up even with their rapid progress.

They had cleared the first two sets of office doors when Kim decided to look for herself. What she saw must have convinced her that they would not be able to outrun it, because she came to a sudden stop by grabbing at an open door jamb, threw an arm around him as he started to sail past her, and then flung the two of them through the opening.

Kim had kicked shut the door as they entered, and Ron was relieved to see that the office they found themselves within, although small, had four walls and a ceiling.

It was quiet outside, or at least nothing could be heard over their own panting.

"Out of sight, out of mind?" ventured Ron, after his breathing had slowed enough to allow speech.

"I-"

Without any sound or heat or any apparent force, a three-foot wide gap suddenly appeared along the outer wall. The column of light was a burgundy color now, and wherever it came to rest, matter disappeared.

Kim threw her arms around Ron from behind and started moving backwards rapidly. Breath exploded out of her and warmed his ear as she crashed her way through two sheets of drywall without relinquishing her hold on him.

_Well sure,_ thought Ron. _If the regular doorway is blocked, just make a new one. _

They found themselves in another office almost identical to the one they had just vacated. Ron started to move over to the door but Kim pushed him back with a finger and gestured for him to watch the new hole she had created.

"But don't get too close," she mouthed.

With her attention directed toward the door handle, it was Ron who realized what was happening above them.

"Kim, look out!"

She threw herself to one side just as a six-foot wide disk of wood and plaster crashed down to the center of the room. With most of the office ceiling gone now, the portal was visible directly overhead. One of the Yithians manipulated the controls again and the beam of light switched back from burgundy to the original golden color. Downward it traveled, directly toward Kim. Before Ron could even cry out, it reached her position.

Except the teen wasn't there anymore. She had moved a few feet to one side, lifted up a large container of bottled water from the floor, and threw it at the column of light.

As soon as it crossed the beam, yellow was replaced with a rainbow of colors and the column began to flicker and pulse.

"Move!" shouted Kim. "Water affects it and there's a fire hose back the way we came!"

He ran through the door a second after she did, put his left hand in her right, and they started to run along the corridor.

Ron absently noted those windows still intact were developing patterns of hoarfrost, and then it felt like a giant clamp had fastened itself around his torso.

Instantly all forward movement stopped and Ron realized that he was surrounded by an orange glow.

"Kim!"

From a full stop, he felt himself start to reverse course. With their hands linked together, the same thing began to happen to Kim and the heels of her tennis shoes squealed against the floor tiles.

Her left hand darted out to shatter the glass window of a door for a fire extinguisher alcove.

"Empty!" she muttered, both anger and anguish in her tone. Her fingers reached around the metal frame of the door, and more glass crunched as her grip tightened.

Ron's feet lifted off of the floor and his body began to stretch out in the direction of the portal. It was almost directly above them now, with waves of icy air pouring out it.

After a quick, troubling look up to the alien horde, he turned back to Kim. Meeting his eyes caused her to force a smile, but pain was clearly visible on her features. It seemed to him her arms were stretched out to their fullest extent now.

"Just hang on... " she gritted out. "I can... We... " Her gaze moved up to the creatures visible above him for a moment. "I'm not letting go! I'm not!"

"I know." _Feels like she's grinding all the bones in my hand together. Not that I'm gonna file a complaint or anything. _

In spite of the intense cold, perspiration was forming on her forehead, and tears of pain leaked out of her slitted eyes.

Her own shoes had left the floor now, as the angle of his body and her arms tilted further upward.

She started to groan, but then clamped her lips together tightly. "There's a way out of this... I _know_ there is... "

A sudden sharp creaking noise sounded from the hinges of the metal doorframe she held, and one of the fastening screws seemed to shatter. Ron blinked as tiny bits of metal flew in all directions.

A dull thudding came from somewhere behind her. _Maybe you'll never let go, KP, but that door will. Or even the walls around us..._

The hinges squeaked again, at a higher pitch this time, and Kim rasped out, "They're just playing with us here... The appetizer before the main course... But, we'll get through this... I... It's not our time..."

The thumping noise returned, louder, closer.

"Right. Yeah." Watching her try not to show the pain she was feeling was agonizing in itself so he closed his own eyes. Doing so, however, caused the memories forced upon him by the Silver Key to return with even greater clarity until he seemed to be drowning in a sea of emotional misery.

_No! That's not me! I mean it is but it isn't the whole story. There's good there, too. Almost fourteen years of close contact with Kim has to have done something for me - to me. _

He opened his eyes again. Kim had her chin sunk down on her chest, as if the struggle drained her even of the energy necessary to keep her head up.

_It's like she's being tortured. And there's nothing either one of us can do about it. We've got no gadgets, no backup... no hope. _

Another thudding sound came to his ears, the loudest one so far. _I wonder how close we are to this whole place coming apart. With Kim going first..._

He could feel her arm quiver with the intensity of her efforts. Her teeth were bared in anguish and a small part of his brain decided whatever Kim's parents had paid for her orthodontic treatment, it was money well spent.

"Okay... confession time here," she gasped. "Now I'm actually wishing I hadn't... hit Whateley... quite so hard... I don't think anything's broken... but there's not as much strength there... as there should be."

Her eyes met his again for an instant and she added grimly, "But I'm not letting go!"

He nodded once and then noticed a rip had started along the edge of the metal doorframe close to the upper hinge. It seemed to lengthen visibly as he watched.

Ron closed his eyes again and kept them shut despite the new onslaught of excruciating memories.

_Is that the sum total of your life? And __is your patheticness __going to drag Kim down with you? _

The answer came to him in a flash. "I... You're right, KP. It's not _our_ time."

He unclenched his fingers from hers and immediately their gloved palms began to slide apart.

"Ron, what are you doing? Don't play around... I need you to... My arm really hurts... Ron!"

Her fingertips were closing on his knuckles now, the nails seeming to gouge tracks in his flesh.

"Stop it!" she commanded. "Hold on to me! Ron, I swear I will... " He started to wriggle his fingers which caused her grip to become looser still. "I'm going to kill you if you don't-"

Then several things happened in rapid secession. Kim let out a wordless cry of surprise and anger when she suddenly found herself holding his empty glove. Ron felt himself floating toward the ceiling like a cork rising from the bottom of a pool. And then his ears were filled with the sounds of gunfire, both conventional and electronic.

Some of the demons closest to the dimensional opening began to slap claws onto parts of their bodies where dark, wet patches suddenly appeared, while others toppled over or started to push back against the horde behind them.

"Concentrate your fire on the Yithians!" shouted a woman's voice that seemed vaguely familiar to Ron, but he stopped trying to identify it when he realized his upward momentum had ended and now he was hurtling rapidly back down to the cold, hard ceramic tiles of the floor.

Fortunately for him, his best friend managed to arrive at the spot first. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have time to properly brace herself for the impact of their collision.

The two teens collapsed to the floor in a tangle of limbs and bodies, and several seconds were required before they could wriggle free and regain their footing.

Kim pushed Ron back against the wall as dozens of soldiers, not all of them in GJ uniforms, moved forward. Their weapons were being directed toward the aliens on the other side of the portal and the number of creatures now sprawled out on the flagstoned floor told of the accuracy of their rapid firing.

Jets of greenish flame started to rise up from the pedestal that the lead Yithian was now lying across. The swirling mists at the edges of the gateway stopped and started twice, then abruptly reversed course. As soon as a complete counter-revolution had occurred, the opening winked out of existence.

A few late-fired bullets ricocheted around the interior of the Analysis Section momentarily, but none found a living destination.

"I, uh, I guess that's a wrap," said Ron softly, as he watched officers begin to detail their soldiers to different parts of the facility.

Looking back at Kim he saw her exchange a nod of recognition with Major Legrasse, the Delta Green Team Leader they had met at the Whateley House yesterday morning. But when the redhead turned to him again her smile had disappeared, replaced by a look of extreme displeasure. She raised her left hand and pointed to the nearest office door. He thought about various excuses to avoid what he knew was coming, but decided it would be best to have this out now rather than later.

_Even when I actually do the right thing, it still gets screwed up! _

Kim pushed the door with her elbow as she passed it and it slammed shut with a clatter. The expression on her face actually caused him to believe for an instant that this weekend would bring another unprecedented occurrence and she would hit him, but in the end she settled for a furious growl and throwing his glove down on the floor between where they stood.

Through clenched teeth she asked, "What did you think you were doing back there?"

He leaned against the edge of the desk at the center of the small room and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. Staring down at the floor, he mumbled, "I - I don't know. It all happened too fast."

"Liar! You were going to sacrifice yourself to save me. But you had no idea of what you'd be letting yourself in for!"

"I find life a lot easier that way."

She kicked her shoe against his and he reluctantly met her gaze. "This doesn't work, Ron!" Kim jabbed a thumb at his chest, than her own. "_We_ don't work, if you're too noble - or too self-sacrificing!"

"KP, if anybody _had_ to go over to those aliens, it needed to be me. 'Cause this isn't the last time the World's gonna need saving."

"All the more reason for the Team to stay together then, isn't it?"

He responded only with a shrug so she added in a calmer tone, "Listen, whatever comes up next, we have a better chance of dealing with it if we work together. There's strength in numbers. And wisdom, too."

"Yeah... " he mumbled.

She repeated the word much more emphatically. "If we really are a team, then it's time to start acting like it. Neither one of us ever needs to face danger completely alone. It's bad strategy - and just plain stupid, too! Thinking that your partner can't help you in a fight means it's a lot more likely you'll make a bad decision. And it only takes one of those to be the end of everything!"

Kim took on a thoughtful expression for a moment, then her eyes became very wide. She placed her hand on her stomach and gave him what almost seemed to be a guilty look. This was followed by several rapid exhalations as the color drained from her cheeks.

"Oh, no... I... Oh, no... " There was a stricken look to the way her eyes suddenly darted about the room that he had only seen a few times in the many years they had been together, but each time had made a vivid impression upon him.

"Okay, KP. Hold on... I... " He made his own scan of their surroundings and spotted a waste paper basket in the farthest corner.

Kim snatched it out of his hands frantically and sank down onto her knees. She whispered a pleading, "Don't watch," and then started to erupt.

_'Don't watch?' Don't worry._ But even with his head averted Ron was able to gather up her hair and pull it back from the path of danger, and then he used his free hand to alternate between stroking and patting her convulsing shoulders.

The wall clock told him seventy-three seconds had elapsed before she was finally finished. Empty. Kim let out a long, shuddery breath and the muscles beneath her skin finally seemed to unknot.

Ron pulled back the collar of her mission shirt, scowled at the new bruises that action revealed, and then tucked her hair inside.

"Don't move," he told her and stood up again so he could reach the box of tissues on the far side of the desk. As Kim started to clean herself up, he went to the mini-fridge on top of the corner file cabinet and retrieved a bottled water.

"Y'know, KP, I'm getting pretty good at this 'Larceny in a Building' gig. I think on our next Career Day I might-"

There was a loud knock behind them but before either could speak the door swung inward.

Dr. Director surveyed the scene for a moment, and Ron was close enough to see her nostrils quiver slightly. "Now don't tell me Al's Pancake World has started up Lobster Night again."

He stared at her for a moment, and turned back to Kim. Of course she had become frozen with surprise and embarrassment, but recovered quickly and started wiping her face with a greater urgency.

The leader of Global Justice turned back to Ron. "So, is anyone missing a door opener?" she asked, and handed Rufus over to him.

The mole rat gave him a sluggish 'okay' gesture with the nails of one paw when he saw his human's look of concern.

"I think he just needs a bath and a long nap, but we've got a veterinarian coming down to give him a proper examination."

"Right," said Ron. "Thanks." He paused to settle the rodent into the front pocket of his cargo pants. "So, ah, don't take this the wrong way, Betty, but how come you're not dead?"

"I'm a little unclear on that myself right now." She turned away from him to ask, "Kim, is it out?"

"I, uh, yes."

"Is _what_ out? Just what's been going on around here?"

The leader of Global Justice held an upturned finger in front of Ron, then faced Kim again. "Some of the A/S scientists have started to go into cardiac arrest. We could use the help of everyone onsite who has emergency medical training. If you're up for it... "

Kim was on her feet now, and after a deep draught from the water bottle, she said, "Yes. Absolutely."

Dr. Director nodded and left the room. The redhead moved to follow but Ron placed himself in the doorway.

"Kim... "

"I know. We need to talk. And I promise we will. I _want_ to. But not right now."

He moved to one side and she handed him the bottle.

"I wiped off the top, but you still might not want to... "

She fell silent as he raised the bottle to his lips and emptied it.

Her eyes studied him gravely for a handful of seconds, then glanced over her shoulder.

"Better get going, KP. Before they dock your pay."

She gave him a solemn nod and jogged off in the direction of the gurneys set up by the entrance.

Ron gave Rufus a pat through the fabric of his pants and left the office.

In addition to the military personnel standing guard over the Doomsday machines, there were now several people in lab coats or business clothes gathered in knots before the no longer burning painted symbols on the curved ceiling, or the gaping holes on some of the office walls.

_These sights are going to haunt my dreams for a long time to come, but for other folks, they're just tourist attractions._

He walked past the groups as inconspicuously as he could, and made his way toward the entrance where medical personnel were working on the A/S scientists. He saw Kim was one of two people performing CPR on Professor Berkovich. She was doing breaths rather than chest compressions, but still, since it seemed that there were a few doctors or nurses here with nothing to do but watch her technique, his first reaction was one of irritation. Then it occurred to him that mindless physical activity might be just what his best friend needed right now to wind down from the stresses she had gone through this weekend.

He kept to her back as he continued toward the exit and when he was just a few feet from the start of the Access Tunnel he noticed that Kim's audience was larger than he originally thought. Just outside the huge metal slab of the door he saw Betty and Roderick Spode were watching her as well.

The Englishman's lips moved but he was too far away for Ron to hear his words. The GJ leader did however, and she whirled on him. With a forefinger aimed at Spode's face, Betty said something that caused the large man's face to become flushed and rigid. His eyes moved back and forth and finally noticed Ron. The teen saw the Deputy Director's fists ball up in repressed rage.

How long his superior officer would have dressed him down was not revealed because Betty turned away after several seconds when she was approached by a young man with a clipboard.

Dr. Director glanced over her shoulder to where the medical teams were working, then set off down the tunnel that lead back to the surface with the junior bureaucrat following along as best he could.

Ron considered the now alone Spode for a brief moment, then started walking toward him. _Guess what, Roddy? It__'s payback time._

* * *

"So they got you too, huh?"

Her heart skipped a beat until Kim Possible remembered that this particular member of her Rogue's Gallery was not in a position to harm her at the moment. The teen hastily pulled the sleeve of her mission shirt down past the bandage on her left arm and looked over to see DNAmy's gap-toothed grin. Kim gave a slight smile in reply and then nods to each of the soldiers detailed to guard the older woman.

"Uh, yeah, they 'got' me."

"They shouldn't have made you do that, not after throwing you at Whateley like they did."

"I wasn't forced to donate blood, Amy. I wanted to. I have a rare blood type-"

"O negative?"

Kim hesitated, then nodded.

"The 'universal blood donor type.' I guess that fits the save-the-world girl." Amy rubbed the crook of her own arm. "And at least they gave _you_ a choice... "

Kim opened her mouth for an admonishing response, then remembered hearing that, however reluctantly, Amy had contributed her considerable scientific knowledge to the crisis.

"Ah, so they tell me you were working on a device that would have stopped Whateley."

"He would have looked like a plate of Chicken Cacciatore when I was done with him," Amy said cheerfully.

"Oh-kay. Nice. And I know the doctors here consulted with you on the best way to treat the people he... contaminated."

"Sounds like they're doing it, too. Complete blood replacement and massive doses of Vancomycin."

"Yes. Uhh, Amy, have you considered that this weekend might become a sort of turning point for you?"

"Why? Is Monty here now?"

"No. I mean that if bad guys, some bad guys at least, are going to be a problem for you from this point on, then maybe switching sides is the smart thing to do.

"And who knows how much time you could shave off your prison sentence if you were to continue using your scientific knowledge to help people like you did today."

The woman considered this. "If I could have access to a lab while I do my time... There's still so much good work to be accomplished in the field of animal/human hybrids."

"Yes, there is, Amy. But probably not in the way you mean."

"Well, I heard your cute little mouse helped to stop Gideon."

"True, he did, but-"

"So what if the police had an army of little guys like him?"

"It almost sounds like _you_ made Rufus, well, special, instead of your old college friend, ah... "

"Jeb Batchelder. Jebbie is such a sweetie. Once for my birthday he made me a kitten that could change TV channels by static electricity buildup."

"Adorable I'm sure, but not exactly the kind of work I'm thinking of. And splicing the DNA of a ten year old boy into an unborn naked mole rat was not exactly ethical scientific research."

"Aw, the Springfield Police never even pressed any charges against Jeb."

"No, but when the boy's father found out, he saw dollar signs and tried to sue for custody. It wasn't cool how close Ron came to losing his pet, Amy.

"But I don't want to replay the past here. I'm looking to the future; your future." Kim eyed the two bored looking soldiers for a moment. "Amy, I can't really speak for anyone in the Criminal Justice System. But, I can promise you that if you were given laboratory access, and you could figure out a way to extend the life spans of Te'sera and the other... people like her, I would be very grateful."

"They weren't exactly nice to you last night. Why do you care what happens to them?"

_I think the real question is why don't _you_ care? _"It's a character flaw, what can I say?"

The woman stared at Kim without speaking, and the light glinting off her glasses made it hard to gage her reaction to the teen's words.

"I don't have a lot of money, Amy. Far from it. But I might be able to swing an occasional purchase on your behalf. You know, just so you can stay connected to the new Cuddle Buddy releases."

"No, Cuddle Buddies are the first thing the guards go for on a cell search. Don't let anybody tell you that all the people you meet in prison are nice! But, umm, a subscription to the collector's newsletter would be nice... "

"I'll see what I can do."

"And how about visitation privileges for Monty? I know he's had a few legal misunderstandings but-"

_If the word 'conjugal' passes her lips, I'm going to need another __trash can__ ASAP!_ "Let's take this one step at a time, Amy," interrupted Kim. She angled her body slightly so that her thumb jerking motion would be visible only to the soldiers.

One of them cleared his throat self-consciously. "Er, I'm sorry, Miss Possible. But we have to take the prisoner back to Detention now."

"Oh, well, if you have to. But we'll talk again, Amy. Soon."

When the trio had disappeared from the lobby of the Infirmary waiting room, Kim heard a voice behind her say, "Trying to put yourself out of business?"

She turned to face an amused looking Dr. Director. "I know it's a long shot that Amy would ever _really _change her ways, but still... "

"It's worth trying? I agree." The one-eyed woman considered the crowd of GJ personnel waiting to donate blood, and the way they kept glancing covertly in their direction. "Let's take a walk."

By the time they had reached the antechamber of Betty's office, Kim had caught her up on the half-human Group she had rescued Amy from earlier that day.

"Recruit them into Global Justice?"

Kim shrugged. "It's just a thought. And, yes, there are plenty of reasons why it would never work. All I know for certain is that if I ever meet that bunch again, I want us all to be on the same side."

Betty waved the teen forward past a young male receptionist and into a large, sparsely furnished room with maps or TV monitors on every wall.

"Five minutes, no interruptions," Betty told the man just before closing the double doors behind them.

She seated herself behind a gleaming mahogany desk and pointed Kim toward an upholstered chair. The teen started to pull the seat forward with her right arm, but quickly shifted to her left as she stifled a groan.

_Okay, that Cortisone shot can start kicking in any time now! Of course if I actually put on the __arm __sling they gave me, I'd probably be in better shape... _

Kim was expecting the office to be windowless, since they were still nearly one hundred feet below the streets of New York City, but the complete lack of personal effects surprised her.

"Perhaps you were expecting pictures of my brother and I together when we were kids."

Kim returned the smile even while she marveled again at the woman's perception. "Anyway, Betty, I'm a bit fuzzy on a couple of points, starting with how exactly did Rufus get through the metal hull of the Analysis Section? That's several inches of solid steel."

"Solid everywhere except for a 4.2 centimeter aperture up at the top where the fiber optic connections run through."

"A tight squeeze, but I've seen him manage smaller spaces. And chew through tougher obstacles than plastic wires."

"And you know he had the access codes of the entryway doors written on his skin - in permanent marker unfortunately, but the vet we called in says they'll be gone in another day or two."

"Right. One last thing. Did you actually meet Whateley yourself?"

"Very briefly, yes."

"So what happened to his side?" Kim pointed to her own ribcage. "Right about here."

"Well, you know there's more than one way to use a fire extinguisher in an emergency." She considered Kim's expression for a moment. "Or maybe you don't. But if you have a Class B extinguisher, a ballpoint pen, Wite-Out, and a microwave oven, there's a way to create your own missile launcher. Ask your grandmother about it. She's the one who taught me that trick."

"Nana doesn't talk about her old life very often. Not with me, anyway."

"She has mixed feelings about you entering this business. And I'll admit I'm not looking forward to telling her what I put you through this weekend."

"I knew you two were acquainted, but it sounds like you're actually pretty close."

"I consider her my mentor. I never would have made it to a GJ leadership position without her advice and guidance. For that matter," Betty put her fingers up close to her eye patch, "I never would have survived _this_."

She gave Kim a rueful smile and said, "Okay, I think that was the painkillers sneaking up on me. Ah, anyway, my CMO - the Chief Medical Officer for Global Justice - has _finally_ committed himself to the prediction that all the A/S scientists will make complete recoveries."

Kim nodded, then grimaced. "And the 'W' mark Whateley sliced into the back of their hands?"

"Will be removed as soon as each of them is strong enough to go through the effacement procedure."

In a lower tone, Kim asked, "What about the broken noses and missing teeth that _I'm_ responsible for? Will those be fixed, too?"

"Of course. And before you tear yourself up about that, I'll ask a question of my own. Do you know what I was doing when they shot me?"

"No."

"Setting the onsite micro-fission generators to explode - which would have killed every last person down there."

_Well, that helps put things into perspective._ Aloud, Kim said, "Good thing they hadn't made their guns lethal at that point."

"Agreed, but getting hit by two or three Stun beams at one time seemed to have knocked my vital signs low enough for them to believe I _was_ dead."

"Right," said Kim.

"And I also have the medical reports here for you and Ron."

"I only agreed to that examination because they wouldn't accept my blood donation until I did."

Betty raised an eyebrow in a knowing manner. "Someone must have advised the doctor of that point."

"So, ah, Ron's okay, isn't he?"

"Well, he's in better shape than you are. Although that isn't saying much, is it? At the very least the two of you should on enforced bed rest for the rest of the week."

_Yeah, right, with this year's Cheerleading Regionals just nine days away now._ "I'll make sure he, okay we, will take it easy."

Betty gave her a long look, and then tapped a finger to the open folder. "But not all the injuries documented here occurred today, did they?"

"It's been an eventful weekend," replied Kim, evasively.

"The continuing existence of this planet was left in the hands of a pair of battered, bloodied, exhausted teenagers."

"And one naked mole rat!"

But the older woman did not return Kim's smile. "It really did make sense to me at the time. The hunt for the WEE Doomsday weapons stretched this agencies' resources nearly to the breaking point, but _somebody_ had to check out that discovered link between DNAmy and Stars Hollow. And after the whole Moodulator business, I thought the two of you needed a pleasant diversion. But what did all my 'good intents' result in? Damn near getting the both of you killed."

"You couldn't possibly have known about Whateley's connection to Amy's escape. And anyway he had to be stopped. Brought to justice as the saying goes. I don't throw around the word 'evil' all that often, but if it applies to anybody or anything in this universe, it would be Whateley."

Kim moved her palms back and forth along the arm rests of her chair for a moment before continuing in a lowered voice, "But there's still that age old question of whether the ends ever truly justify the means. I keep wondering if I've been changed by the events of this weekend, by the violent acts I've committed, or threatened to commit, or worst of all, by the things I eagerly, oh, so, eagerly _wanted_ to commit. I'm just not sure if it will be, well, possible, to ever go back completely to who I was on Friday."

"Well, stop wondering. Because you can't. The feelings, the realizations that emerged over these last three days can be controlled, or even denied, but they will not entirely disappear. Ever."

"Nice."

"Yes. Almost as nice as the bitter realization that sometimes the _'good guys'_ are just as willing to kill you to obtain a desired goal as the villains of the world."

After several seconds Kim asked, "Would _you_ have given me that suicide bomb to take down to Whateley?"

"If there was no way to deliver it myself, yes. Although I personally would have warned you of the potential consequences of the bomb's mental link since I have no doubts about your sense of duty.

"There are many areas of disagreement between Roderick and myself, but for him to use, or perhaps even misuse, every resource available to him to prevent the extinction of the human race is something I could hardly fault him for."

"And would you have let Ron come with me down there?"

"If that was his informed decision, yes."

For nearly half a minute it was silent in the office until Betty said, "Kim, the doubts, the fears, and, I imagine, the anger, all going through your head right now are normal reactions to what you've experienced this weekend. Everyone in our business has had a moment like this. You've just been through your LOI mission."

"I don't know what that means."

"Loss Of Innocence. There are other, more explicit labels, that I could use but, well, you are a minor...

"It shouldn't have happened to you for several years yet, but that can't be helped now. Just remember, Kim, discovering that there are truly dark corners in the world, and within each of us, also means the light becomes that much brighter and warmer, as well. So it's even more important for our emotional well being to seek out the sunshine."

"And not necessarily the kind that requires SPF protection?" When the older woman nodded, Kim smiled and said, "You're going all poetic on me. The medication again?"

Betty tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Apparently so."

"Well then, what kind of intelligence operative would I be if I didn't attempt to take advantage of your momentary weakness?"

"In other words you want me to tell you about one of your grandmother's missions."

"Please and thank you."

Betty leaned back in her chair and ran the fingers of one hand through her russet hair in a thoughtful manner. Then she sat upright once more and announced, "Yes. All right. Something relevant has occurred to me. But maybe we should call Ron up before I start. His Uncle Max played a part in this story, too."

"Okay."

"Ah... Then again, maybe not. This is your grandmother's own LOI mission I'm about to describe to you."

_W__hoa_. "Umm, all right."

"So, what do you know about the Cuban Missile Crisis?"

Kim felt the hairs on the back of her neck start to lift. "Just what we learned in history class."

"Then you've never been told the true story of how the world avoided all-out nuclear war back then. This was 1962 and young Agent Possible – or was she still a Nickerson at that point? Anyway, in October of that year your grandmother, very much against her will, had been teamed up with a womanizing MI6 operative by the name of Bond… "

* * *

Author Notes:

Well, they can't all end in cliffhangers, right?

"Disconnecting" is the chapter where I take Kim and Ron, in a figurative sense at least, to the place we find them at the start of "So The Drama." As an act of mercy to the reader, however, I have split this lengthy installment into two roughly equal parts. The concluding half will (hopefully) go out before the end of the year.

Gideon Whateley, the Yithians, Major Lagrasse, and the Silver Key are all borrowed, more or less, from the writings of H. P. Lovecraft.

Roderick Spode was inspired by various works of P. G. Wodehouse.

Jeb Batchelder is a recurring character in the Maximum Ride novels by James Patterson. (If you can accept the idea of a sarcastic teenage girl saving the world, ably assisted by her "just a friend" mission partner, and a talking pet, check out this series.)

The Simpson family was created by Matt Groening. (Research on whether their hometown of Springfield exists in the same State as Middleton is ongoing at this time!)

Maxwell Smart was invented by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry.

Ned Nickerson was the boyfriend of detective Nancy Drew who first appeared in print in 1930. Readers with very good memories will realize this is my second reference to that teen sleuth in this story, but I feel justified in doing so because, according to Wold-Newton (pseudo) scholarship, Kim Possible is the great-granddaughter of Nancy Drew, and it was through a Wold-Newton mailing list that I first learned of Kim and Ron.

James Bond appeared in the writings of Ian Fleming.

Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and Rufus were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All of these characters and concepts are used here without the permission of the respective copyright holders, but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.


	27. Disconnecting, Part Two

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author's Note: This story takes place during the Memorial Day weekend of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School and is rated T for adult themes, language, and violence.)

* * *

**27. Disconnecting, Part Two**

Monday Afternoon:

After nearly half an hour of searching - which included two surprisingly futile trips to the now reopened cafeteria - Kim Possible eventually found him in the conference room where their luggage had been stowed. Ron Stoppable was alone except for the naked mole rat asleep on his lap. The teen's head was bowed and she thought he might be sleeping himself, but he looked up at her when she spoke with no sign of disorientation.

"Hey yourself, KP."

Her eyes traveled over to the wall clock that just a short time ago seemed to foretell her eminent demise. "It's been more than two hours since I saw you last. What have you been doing?"

"Nothing much."

_He sounds so low, subdued, like somebody died. Or something is going to die. Well, he always did need more sleep than me. _"You eat?"

"Uh huh. You?"

"I had something. You heard that all the Analysis Section people are going to pull through?"

He nodded. "Melissa told me."

She nodded too, then with an incline of her head toward the mission clothes he still wore, asked, "She the one who sewed up your shirt, and... and your pants?"

"Yeah. Mel was pretty happy about how things turned out with her sister."

_Well, _thought Kim, _I'll give her this, that Agent Harvey is a very persistent woman._ "Right. And the Secretary General has said three times now that first thing tomorrow morning he files adoption papers for me - ah, for us."

"Let's keep that in mind the next time allowance negotiations come up."

"Except you already get like twice as much as I do."

"Oh. Right. So what have _you_ been up to, KP?"

"Helping out in the Infirmary, mostly. And I got to give the President the brush-off."

"Huh?"

"The man's timing needs some serious work! We were up to our eyebrows in dying scientists and he calls to chat! 'You're welcome and gotta go,' is pretty much all I said to him." She let out a sigh. "Still and all, I think we added a few new names to the Favor Call-Up List today."

"About six billion, I'd say."

"Well, don't hold your breath waiting for this one to hit the news. And for once it isn't just National Security considerations behind the information blackout... "

She forgot the rest of the sentence as her eyes finally noticed that from mid finger to upper wrist, the back of his left hand was a mass of purple and yellow-grey bruises.

"Wha- Did I - Is that _my_ doing?"

Ron hastily drew back his hand until it was hidden from her view. "No it isn't, Kim. Not really. Every bruise and bump and blooding that you and I got this weekend was Whateley's fault and nobody else."

_You're a freak, Possible! You should just go live in a cave somewhere until they need you to smack down another monster._

She pulled his glove out from the waistband of her least dirty civilian pants and handed it over.

"Ah, I went back to look for this but... "His voice trailed away and he pulled it on hastily.

"The guy from the FBI found it and gave it to me." _But not before he had made sure he had collected his little suicide surprise pill. _

Ron got to his feet and placed the still slumbering Rufus into his preferred pants pocket. "Get your stuff, Kim. We're going to hit that Club Banana now."

"We can't. There's a car out front waiting to take us to LaGuardia. And the plane back to Middleton is being prepped right now."

"Figures."

"But we're not leaving this room until I say something." Her gaze dropped while she marshaled her thoughts, then she looked up to see a curious expression on his face. "Ron, you'd never know it from how ungratefully I acted back then, but your 'far, far better thing' gesture with those Yithians, I... it was just the most amazing thing anybody has ever done for me in my life."

A hint of a smile came to his lips. "But... "

"Okay, _but_ that just isn't what you signed on for when we started up the Team. And even though you may have thought you were doing me a favor back then, you really wouldn't have been."

"No?"

"No. Just remember that the 'happily ever after' deal works for both of us, or neither."

"O-Okay."

"And of course the other reason I think you should stick around for a while is that I... I... "

_Where am I going with this? I didn't mean to tell him _that _right_ _now_,_ did I? _Her eyes flicked over to the backpack which held, hid her notebook._ Hey, if you wrote it, you can say it, no big. _

But her body seemed to decree otherwise and every second that passed in silence seemed to double the rate of her beating heart, and the tightness in her throat, until finally she was rescued by an almost forgotten memory.

Jabbing a forefinger into his chest hard enough to make him grunt, she growled, "Years ago I swore to your mother I would _never, ever_ come back from a mission without you. So don't you dare pull something like that again!"

In the few seconds it took Kim to scoop up her bags and escape through the door, he did not speak or even move.

* * *

The limousine ride to the airport started out in silence, but while driving on the Triborough Bridge Kim suddenly realized that there was still one unexplained mystery left about their final battle with Gideon Whateley.

"Ron!"

With a start he turned from the window and toward her. "What?"

"The Silver Key."

A panicked look came to his features and he started reaching into his more accessible pockets. "Oh, man. Don't tell me I've still got that thing with me!"

"No. Major Lagrasse from Delta Green has it. She wanted me to thank you for your part in recovering it and all the other magic stuff."

"Uh huh. And was that thank you by name?"

"Yeeee- No. Although she had the first letter right, honest!" She paused, upper teeth depressing her lower lip for a moment. "Ahh... Remember the trip to Maine she invited us on? The Major wouldn't give me too many details, but it seems things didn't go so well for them up there. Taking a pass on that one turned out to be a pretty good idea."

His low tone matched her own. "Yeah. But that wasn't what you started to tell me a second ago."

"Right. I just realized I still don't understand how that key got down to the A/S with us."

"I brought it with me."

"But we were searched."

"I put it in my shoe."

"Well, what if they made us take our shoes off?"

"I had pulled the inner pad of my shoe up and stuck the key underneath it."

_That's why he was limping back then!_ "Sure, but what if they wanted to look more closely at your shoes?"

"At _my_ shoes, Kim?" He shook his head. "No, even mind control will only take you so far."

"Ohhh-kay, but if the key was that close to you, why didn't a window to an old memory appear?"

"I cut a piece out of my sleeping bag - you know, with the special Wade insulation - and wrapped it around the key. That blocked the effect."

"Makes sense, I guess, but why didn't all those sensors down there detect it?"

"Melissa told me - or was it Ben? - Well, _one_ of them said that Spode didn't believe in magic. He cut all the money out of the Global Justice budget that was supposed to be used for studying it. So I thought, would they really try very hard to look for something that-"

"That the higher-ups say doesn't exist? No! They wouldn't! Ron, this is the most... You were just... I... Uhhh... " She fell silent for a moment, then blurted out, "Why don't you get better grades in school!?"

And before he turned back to his window gazing, she saw there was a satisfied smile on his face.

* * *

Two surprises greeted them when they boarded the Global Justice transport plane. The same pilot and copilot who had flown the teens to Connecticut would be returning them to Colorado. And the jet already had a passenger on board.

"Wade!" called out the two teens in unison.

"Hey, guys. We meet again."

"Two times in two months," marveled Ron. "It's getting to be a regular habit."

"So, how was London?" asked Kim.

Wade shook his head. "Don't know. I spent the whole trip at U.N.I.T. HQ."

"Well, I bet you solved that Internet trouble they were worried about."

"No. Not yet. It's going to take more than just a long weekend to crack the Gallifrey Virus." He lowered his voice before adding, "The general consensus at the conference was that the code used to write that program is extraterrestrial in origin."

Kim and Ron exchanged a look, and then she said, "The smart money's on you, Wade. You'll get it." Her smile broadened as she stared down at him. "You have no idea what this weekend was like, or how much we missed working with you."

"Uh, well, actually, I do kinda have an idea." He pointed toward the laptop computer resting on the seat closest to where he stood. "GJ's cyber security still has a few holes in it. And Kim, I've already started drawing up plans to increase your defensive capabilities. Something to protect you from kinetic force threats, energy weapons, that kind of thing."

"Sort of like the Fearless Ferret's Combat Armor?" asked Ron.

"No, I was thinking more like the Revenger's Cloak of Invulnerability. It needs to be cloth, or cloth-like at least. Nothing bulky or rigid that would interfere with Kim's speed or agility."

Recent memories of dodging bullets and not avoiding lightning bolts prompted Kim to place a hand on each of their shoulders and say, "I'll leave the naming of this, uh, battle suit thing for you two. But the sooner it's ready, the happier I'll be."

She turned away and tried to place her carry-on bag in the storage bay above their heads, but found she couldn't lift her right arm high enough to do that. Kim started to switch it over to her left hand but Ron grabbed it away from her with a whispered, "Got it, KP."

At that point the copilot announced that takeoff would occur as quickly as the rest of their luggage had been secured and they were buckled up.

Wade and Ron took aisle seats in the same row. Kim squeezed past the latter and dropped into the chair next to the window. She placed her backpack on the empty seat between the two best friends.

_Well, as great as it is to see Wade again, him being here means that talking with Ron, _The Talk_, gets delayed even longer. But it will_ _happen. Today. _

_It is time, long past time actually, for Ron and me to move things up to a higher level in our relationship. And now that I think about it, Memorial Day is the perfect opportunity for that to be announced. A big crowd of family and friends will be at the house, and Dad's always in a good mood when he gets to barbecue. _

_Is _that_ important? Well, it can't hurt. I know what Mom's reaction will be to the announcement, and I can guess what the Tweebs, er, Twins, will say. But, Dad? Don't have a clue. He acted so goofy when I had the Moodulator on. All tense and anxious. Never did figure out what that was all about..._

_It's funny though, that Ron isn't a question mark anymore in my mind. I guess what he was willing to do for me back there with the Yithians speaks louder than any words could. _

Kim turned to the right long enough to determine their conversation was still focused on superhero costume choices.

_Okay, so maybe Ron hasn't jumped into adulthood with both feet just yet. Come to think of it, Dad has still got some boy in him, as well. But I do believe this was a __Loss of Innocenc__e __weekend for Ron, as much as me. The self-sacrifice thing, that still just floors me. Totally misguided, of course, but the maturity level required for an act like that is something plenty of adults couldn't manage. And as a way to kick off a relationship, it blows a box of chocolates or a mushy card right out of the water..._

A popping sound intruded on her thoughts.

"Want a soda, Kim?"

"No thanks, Wade." She pointed to the twelve pack on the floor in front of his seat. "Looks like you've barely got enough for the trip back home as it is."

In an amused tone Ron said, "Kim never did get the whole 'drinking to excess' concept. But how are they gonna stay cold?"

"I set up a thermal inversion field around them."

"Well, natch."

"Oh, Ron, I almost forgot. My friend Eugene was at the conference with me. He just finished up a spec job you'd be interested in."

"Yeah?"

"A new Zombie Mayhem Expansion Pack."

"Badical! Let's hear the details."

"Well, his confidentiality agreement doesn't run out until June 1st. So I'll just say four words: Rock salt cluster bombs."

"Ahh, you're killing me, Wade! But you _have_ to at least tell me if the rumors about a multi-player platform option are true."

Kim smiled. _If only I was fluent in Geek Speak. _After another glimpse at the rapidly retreating Manhattan skyline, her gaze drifted over to her backpack.

_Yes, we saved the world. Again. But the scourge of homework is still unvanquished. Having school assignments unfinished on a Sunday - no, Monday! - afternoon might be the Ron SOP, but it's not mine. _

A bit awkwardly she reached across with her left arm and thrust her hand into her bag. _Okay, so I get in a couple more chapters of assigned reading, review the vocab list for tomorrow's Chem test, then on to the not so Great Depression. _

Kim's fingers brushed against the inner pocket where she kept her MP3 player. _Oh! I almost forgot I had promised Monique to listen to the song she sent me. _

In seconds she had the ear buds in place and was scrolling through her play lists.

_Yuck! I thought I had deleted all the Oh Boyz tracks. Even Joss was ragging on them in her last email. _

_Ah, there it is: "Could It Be" by Christy Carlson Romano. Well, I know the singer if not the song. Mom and I saw her in "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway. Don't remember ever mentioning to Monique that I liked her, though._

The teen tapped the play button. Her initial reaction was, _Too slow. Wouldn't make a good cheer routine. _This was followed by, _Hey, the forever friends part sounds like me and... _And finally, W_ait a minute!_

After listening to the song three times in a row, Kim shut off the electronic device and packed it away again. _I should be seriously ticked that Monique broke her promise to me, albeit indirectly, but really, if the sitch was reversed, I don't know if I would have been able to keep my peace for anywhere near as long as she did. _

In the first few months of their friendship, Monique asked Kim over and over again why she and Ron weren't dating each other when obviously there were deeply held feelings between them. Was it his looks, his social standing, his prospects for the future, etc?

Finally one day in Club Banana Kim had exploded, practically shouting, "Mind your own freakin' business, why don't you?" before storming away. She feared the friendship was gone forever, but they had made up that same evening. Kim tearfully apologized and Monique vowed to never again mention the topic of a romantic relationship with Ron.

_And so 'never' turned out to be about a year and a half. I wonder if anyone else is thinking of giving Ron and me a wake up call. Maybe Wade's gonna send us on an assignment where we..._

_Where we pose as newlyweds? _

_This whole mission was a fix up! Dr. Director was trying to get us to realize something we were just too dense to see or to start up on our own. _

She looked over to Ron just as he was about to shove a small mountain of potato chips into his mouth. He caught her gaze and extended his overflowing hand toward her with raised eyebrows. She pursed her lips and shook her head.

_Well, the intervention efforts can stop now. Today. I finally realize what's been missing in my life and what I should do about changing that. Like Betty said, after exposure to the dark places of the world, make sure you reach out for the light. The sunshine. _

_The Ronshine?_

She was just about to start Chapter 48 of Jane Austen's Emma when the mention of a familiar name intruded on her reading. "What was that? Mr. Nakasumi is in trouble?"

"No, Kim. Not really. I was just telling Ron that I've got a friend on his way to Tokyo right now. Somebody's been trying to hack Nakasumi Toys so Eugene was hired to shut the door on them. And since I taught him all he knows about online security... "

"Mr. N's cyber secrets are safe and sound? Good." She started to stroke the place where her arm was beginning to ache more insistently, but recovered quickly and instead brushed away potato chip crumbs from the seat next to her. "Very good, actually. I want the next few days to be calm and peaceful. We've got Cheer Regionals coming up fast. And if you are a betting, uh, young man, I'd advise you to put everything you've got on Middleton to so totally humiliate the competition." She met Ron's gaze and returned his grin. "Anyway, before the next mission comes up, I just want to take care of a few things back on the home front."

* * *

"KP, time to wake up!"

"Not asleep, Ron." _Not anymore anyway. _

The teen brushed hair back from her face and glanced out the plane window. The sun was low enough on the horizon for its rays to be painfully bright but she still recognized their current location.

_Middleton Airport. Man, that flight, uh, flew by. _

Kim looked down at the book lying closed on her lap. _So much for getting a lot of homework done._ She glanced up to see that not only was Ron staring at her, so were Wade and Rufus, and all three wore mixed expressions of amusement and concern.

"That was some serious zoning you were doing there, KP."

"I don't snore," she replied, the response coming before the full understanding of his words.

"That's not what Jim and Tim have told me," announced Wade. When she fixed her eyes on him directly, his smile shifted over to a more neutral expression, and he added, "Ah, my Mom is here in her van and she could take you guys home, too, no problem."

"Hey, that would be awes-" started Ron.

"We appreciate it, Wade. But not this time. GJ still owes us a taxi ride, among other things."

With Ron carrying Kim's bags as well as his own, the four exited the jet and walked together for several hundred yards.

"Okay, guys. Mom should be just outside that door there."

"All right, Wade. Just hold on a second, though." Kim briefly considered giving him a parting hug, but decided that might be awkward - and not just because of the height difference between them.

"Um, I just wanted to make sure you knew that in my book, you totally and completely rock, Wade. Without you on our side, I think we would have quit the mission thing a long time ago, or our parents would have made us quit, or uh, well, who knows what would have happened. So, anyway, thank you very much for being on the Team."

Wade gave her a surprised look, then glanced over to Ron.

"What she said, dude."

"Hey, guys, I, um... It's been my pleasure. And I'll never let you down, I promise that."

After Wade had moved through the automatic doors and disappeared from view Ron asked, "Was it just three years ago his parents were worried he was gonna try to take over the world?"

Kim touched a finger to her lips. "Vow of silence on that one, remember? Now come on. The taxi stand is outside the next exit."

* * *

"Okay, driver. You can just let us out in the parking lot up there."

"What are you doing, KP? We're still blocks away from your house."

She raised a hand up to his cheek. "Poor baby. Been away from home so long you don't recognize the local landmarks anymore."

Puzzled, he turned from her and toward the closest window. Immediately his face lit up. "Now I do! But should we? They're probably already eating at your place."

"We won't be that long." Kim handed several bills to the driver. "Besides, GJ got off really cheap this weekend, with all the meals we missed, and they can certainly afford one more ding on their loaned out credit card."

Kim held open the front door to the Bueno Nacho restaurant as Ron carried in their bags.

"Hola, Ned!"

"Hi, Ron, Kim. You guys going somewhere?"

"Coming back, actually. but why is this whole section roped off here? Including the official Kim/Ron booth, I might add. What gives, dude?"

Ned pushed over-sized glasses back up his nose with a forefinger. "It's been kind of slow today, and I just thought I'd give all the tabletops a good scouring."

Kim smiled. "Somebody been writing nasty things about Bonnie again?"

"No, nothing like that." Ned glanced over to the employee standing behind the cash register picking her nails. "Come down this way."

When they had moved several feet from the counter, Ned asked in a lowered tone, "You guys hear about the big Wall Street news?"

"Nah. We've been having way too much fun to keep up with current events," Ron said.

"Some mystery man is snatching up BN stock by the truckload. Which usually means a major reorganization in the ranks." In a still softer voice he added, "Maybe the next time you come in, I won't just be an Assistant Manager any more... "

"Coolio! Free food for the Ronster is coming up! Nederino, you da man!"

Ned's thin neck swiveled this way and that. "Don't even joke about stuff like that, Ron!"

"Yes, joking. Ha ha."

"Hope it works out for you, Ned."

"Thanks, Kim." He frowned at Ron again and walked away.

When she returned from the ladies' room, Ron and Rufus had already started eating.

"Ah, one of everything. I guess that makes ordering quick and simple."

"We didn't get _that_ much, KP." Ron looked into bag after bag until he had collected the items she requested. "Your drink, a naco, and two Torta Grandes."

He slid them across the table. "I've seen you eat nacos before - on very rare occasions. But dessert? Here? What's up with that?"

She set her soda cup down. "Actually those aren't for me. The Twins like them."

"Uh huh. So?"

"So, I'm bringing it home for my brothers, okay?"

His eyebrows drew together. "Their birthday is like months away."

"I've brought them stuff back from missions before," she said defensively.

"Must have been your _other_ sidekick who got to see that. So what's really going on here? Wade give you some kind of knockout drugs to try on them? Or is this like a bribe?"

"A bribe to do what?"

"To stay out of your room."

"I... Well... " She groaned. "Seventy-two hours. I've been gone seventy-two hours. Do you have any idea what those two can accomplish - or destroy - in that amount of time?" Without waiting for a reply she pushed the two dessert packages away from her and muttered, "Dig in, boys."

* * *

When the last of the food had disappeared, and Ron had burped, softly, _(Progress?)_ Kim asked, "System finally returning to normal?"

"Moving in that direction, yeah. Fifteen or twenty hours of TV would put me right back in the game."

"No metaphor like a mixed one, ehh, Ron?"

"I do try to live by that credo, KP." He tilted his head in thoughtful consideration. "Unless I shouldn't." After a shrug he asked, "Ready to go?"

"Not just yet." She gave him another smile. "Well, Mr. Pendarvis, I guess now we can really say the honeymoon is over."

"Huh. Right."

"But before we just fall back into all the old patterns and routines, there was one topic that came up this weekend that didn't quite get settled completely, it seems to me."

"What was that?"

Kim played with the tip of her flexible straw a few more times, then said, "Uh, Ron, I always believed that we had the kind of friendship where we could tell each other stuff."

A touch of wariness seemed to lower his voice. "Yeah. We do."

"Okay. Well, I've got a very clear memory of you telling me when Mary Gariano said hi to you."

"That one time, right."

"But when it came to your new Florida friends," a sudden look of pain came over his features but she plunged on, "I never heard a thing. Not from you, anyway."

"And that surprises you?" he asked with sudden heat.

"Yeah, it does. It seems to me that in the last fourteen months, you could have found a spare minute to casually mention them."

He gave her an incredulous look. "Kim... "

"Did you tell Felix?"

"No!"

"Ah, okay. But you did stay in touch with them, right?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "Y'know, KP, if you're trying for funny here, it's not cutting it."

"Funny?"

"Funny as in not so much. More like vicious. So how about we let this subject drop? Forever."

After a lengthy silence, Kim murmured, "As I recall, this outing started with us eating together and me saying something to make you mad." _Except then I actually knew what I did wrong. _

"The food court at the Hartford airport? Yeah, I guess so."

"And you got one of my oh-so-rare apologies." She tried another smile. "If I was to do that twice in the same weekend, I think the Earth _really_ might fall out of its orbit... "

"Then let's not risk it, Kim." To her immense relief he smiled back. "I mean really,_ really_, just forget it."

"Will do. Ewww. No, let's leave _him_ out of this. What I mean is, it's forgotten. Gone. Or it will be after one more comment." She paused for breath. "The 'never be normal' thing? You own that, Ron. You're the king. Because I don't think there's any other teenage boy in the world who could have a Spring Break adventure like that and keep it under wraps the way you did. Most of the guys I know would have been out there the next day trying to sell the book and movie rights."

She feared a new flash of anger from him but he just blinked a few times and looked over to a now slumbering Rufus. The mole rat was lifted out of the empty plastic bowl that had been converted to a makeshift bed and tucked into a pocket of Ron's mission pants.

When he finally met her gaze again there was a look of confusion on his face. "I-I don't know how this could have happened, but something's gotten twisted around.

"Rory Gilmore actually thought that I... that I'm not a... And you believed it, too!"

Some unspoken thought process occupied him for a few seconds, and then the corners of his mouth lifted while his shoulders squared in what almost resembled a swaggering motion.

That faded quickly, however, and he resumed his normal posture to say, "Kim, I never... I mean, I _know_ those girls, uh, women, and I _was_ in their hotel room, and they did kinda like me. It seemed like it, anyway. At least they did stuff that made me think they did." There was a brief pause, before he added hurriedly, "And they hadn't even been drinking, either!" Then, back in his earlier soft tone, he concluded, "But nothing… big happened."

"Be-because Drakken and Shego popped up?"

"No. This was after that."

She tried for a worldly air. "One or more possessive ex-boyfriends put in an appearance?"

He shook his head.

"Okay. Well, a couple of your relatives came up to me at Rueben's wedding, all surprised at me being there with you, and said they had always thought you didn't like girls. But I _know_ that's not true. So what was the real hitch?"

Without making eye contact, Ron shrugged.

Kim looked around to make sure the other booths nearby were still empty. They were but she still lowered her voice to ask, "Would that have been the _first_ time a situation like that had ever come up for you?"

His chest expanded and contracted to a remarkable degree and he gave her a jerky nod of his head.

"Well, lots of anxiety goes along with that one. That's the stereotype, anyway." _Choose your words very carefully, Kim! Everything you say or don't say here sends out an important message._

He seemed to finally notice the corn meal crumbs on his side of the tabletop and started to brush them away. "Yeah, uh, strangely enough, considering, fear didn't have anything to do with it." Ron seemed to force himself to meet her gaze again, which caused Kim to look back down at her own lap for the moment. "I was pretty sure I'd never see those two again. I mean even meeting a person who knew them was kind of a stretch, don't you think?"

"I guess. So, uh, why didn't anything happen?"

"Well, we didn't have that much in... They weren't really all that... "

When his voice had trailed away to inaudibility, Kim told him, "They were both very attractive, Ron. Rory showed me their pictures in a school yearbook."

This resulted in the slightest of nods.

"One was blonde and one brunette," she pointed out. "So I don't think variety was an issue."

He responded with a quick headshake.

"Okay, well, there are other possible considerations. Moral beliefs, maybe. You don't eat kosher, but that doesn't mean there aren't some other religious restrictions... "

His eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted to one side. Another denial.

"And of course there is the whole safe... safety deal." _Although from what Rory told me about those two, that potential problem would have been, uh, covered well in advance._

They were now looking directly at each other again and she saw pink blotches form on his cheeks."Kim, it was something else that made me hold back. I just realized that they weren't who I... It was somebody else that... It just didn't feel right! That's all I can tell you."

_Maybe you wanted to hold out for a foursome? _Then it hit her.

_He gets it! He's a guy, but he gets it! There are some things that should not happen between a guy and a girl - or girls! - unless there is a very strong emotional connection there first._

An actual shiver went down her back with that realization, but fortunately he was taking a noisy swallow from his cup at the moment and didn't notice.

Kim cleared her throat very softly. "So then it was just a question of how to tell the ladies, thanks but no thanks. Hope you were... diplomatic."

"If that means clear and direct, then I was."

"What did you say?"

"Ah, you know, it wasn't so much what I _said_... "

"Go on."

"As what I actually did."

"Which was?" There was no immediate response so she asked, "Ron, you didn't just get up and walk out the door?"

"No!" But apparent outrage was quickly replaced with contrition as he added, "I thought it might be locked, so... I... jumped out the window."

To help maintain a deadpan expression, Kim placed her hands together and tapped her forefingers against her chin a few times. _Hold it in, Possible. So not the time to show amusement - or incredible relief! The event you spent most of this weekend obsessing about never actually happened. And for the best reason imaginable. _

_Serves those two barracudas right! Although maybe I can spare them a tiny bit of sympathy. If they made their interest in Ron obvious, and he still bolted... Not hard to see why they'd spin out an elaborate story rather than admit to being jilted. _

She realized he was giving her an anxious and yet appraising look. "See, that wasn't such a difficult conversation to have, was it?"

"Oh, no, Kim. That was monkey barrel fun."

"Hey, I've revealed things to you this weekend, too. Lots of stuff." She made another survey of their surroundings. "But if you're feeling like it's been too one-sided, I-I'll go again. Give you my own Madeline and Louise moment."

"Sure. If you want to." His tone was casual but a certain quivering tension seemed to suddenly go through his body.

"Well, remember last year when the Squad won the Cheer Regionals?"

"I was there at the time and I do seem to recall that."

_Of course. Some people have said it was your Mad Dog antics that we all turned our noses up at that actually got us that trophy. _"Okay, so as a reward two members of the Squad got to go to that Cheer Conference in St. Louis."

"Yeah, and you couldn't pick me to go with you because it would be favoritism."

"Ah, right. I forgot that part of it. I mean, it was a consideration back then, but also Barkin told me flat out that the School Board would never approve sending two teammates that happen to be different genders on the trip. Whether they were best friends or not."

"So you took Bonnie instead."

"For the good of the team, yes. And we got along okay. Which sometimes happens when it's just the two of us. But then on the next to the last day there, Bonnie tells me about these two guys she met. College boys from the University of Missouri - MU they call it. And she springs it on me that she was going out with them _that night_, and my two choices were to squeal to the chaperones at the hotel, or come along and keep her out of trouble." She gave him a grave look. "You probably don't need a Wade-level IQ to figure out what I decided to do.

"But I don't want you to think I'm leading up to an 'After School Special' horror story here. The boys were nice. Very nice actually. So, after we left the restaurant - and I repeat, restaurant, not a bar or a nightclub - we went down to a park by the river...

"Just so you know here, because of societal double standards - and just plain biology - my options for that night were a lot more limited than yours were in Florida. It was gonna be a 'G' rated evening no matter what. Or 'PG' at the most."

He nodded and she went on. "But that still left a few activities, um, on the table. Especially with a boy I was, uh, sort of attracted to, and one I knew I'd never see again. (Hey, I guess that can work for guys and girls.) The bottom line was that there were no moral prohibitions in the way of a certain amount of fun."

She clicked her nails on the table a few times. "I won't even try to deny, to you at least, that I didn't used to care what Bonnie said about me. Or thought about me. I'm so over that now. Ancient history. But back then... it mattered. More than it should have.

"But even so, nothing much happened with that boy, even though I knew Bonnie was going to interrogate me about it later."

"Maybe it was the Mankey thing," suggested Ron, and again she got the impression that his light tone was at odds with his unspoken thoughts.

Kim hesitated, then said, "You can put the pieces together here, Ron. Josh and I dated... a little. But like I already told you, it never got serious enough to have an understanding about things like that.

"So, anyway, what _didn't_ happen in St. Louis was kind of a mystery to me, and it wasn't until pretty recently that I finally got why that went down the way it did.

"I'm not one to go around saying 'I save the world so I deserve special treatment.' " He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, well, at least not since freshman year. But the mission thing _is_ kind of a complication.

"There's going to be people in the world who judge me, react to me, because of what I do more than who I am inside. And as I get older, I think that crowd will get bigger." _Thank you, Bobby Johnson, for helping me to finally understand why I've always been a bit reserved with boys for reasons that have nothing to do with parental warnings. _"So the trust thing becomes even more important for me than it would be, should be, for all the other girls out there.

"Trust... emotional connections. Sort of the same thing there, don't you think?"

He raised a hand palm up and his mouth quirked.

_An 'I don't know' gesture if I saw one. But I think you do. You've said things to me this weekend that tell me, imply at least, that there is more than just a friendship between us now. It's deeper than that. More intense. And now there's a longing that's never been there before. _

_So, are we both going to keep our true feelings _undercover as it were,_ for the rest of our lives, or is somebody __going to do__ something about it? _

_Through a combination of accident and design our entire weekend has been leading up to this moment. The wall of platonicness - not a word, I know - that's existed between us for so many, many years is crumbling. _

_Well, actually I think for most of this year it's become more like a chain link fence than a stone wall, but still, it's tottering in the breeze here. I could knock it over with a couple of words. _

_Dating. You. Me. Want to? _

_Of course, that contradicts the vow I told Monique about on Saturday. And there is so, so much to be said for letting the guy do all the initiating!_

_Then again, there's the adage that __Major Lagrasse gave__ me earlier today. 'You want a job done right, give it to a woman.'_

Still Kim hesitated, torn between apprehension and desire, until Ron had nearly finished consolidating their trash into a single bag.

_We're just seconds away from him making for the door._ _It's time to act. _

_Yes, having him take the lead here would be so wonderful. It's just not going to happen like that, though. Ron has a lot more courage than the world - make that his best friend - ever used to give him credit for. No doubt about it. But still, I think I would get to Nana age plus before I ever hear him say, 'Forget all those other boys, Kim,_ I'm _the right guy for you'. _

_Anyway, who drives isn't as important as actually getting to the proper destination. Or making sure it's the right passenger next to you. _

She realized he was on his feet again, giving her an expectant look.

Kim made patting motions in the air until he resumed his seat. "Hang on, Ron. Just like another half a minute, okay?"

_It's not the right moment,_ warned a voice in the back of her head._ You're getting closer to that point but he's still not quite ready. _

_Yes he is! The deal with the Yithians shows it. That's right, remember the self-sacrifice. He cares about me. Wants what's best for me. So a happy ending is a foregone conclusion here. _

"Ron?"

"Yeah, Kim?"

She drew in a large quantity of air. "T-two nights ago you said you were sure that I'd eventually find the right boy for me. Somebody I could absolutely trust and depend on, and who would accept all the ways that I'm not like other girls.

"Was that just a best friend fudge or do you really think it might happen... someday?"

His gaze traveled from her face, to various parts of the restaurant, and then downward. She saw his fingers touch the glove that covered his injured left hand and as soon as that had happened, his head snapped upright again and he began to speak. The words came quickly and, it seemed, with a certain absence of spontaneity. "Don't say 'might,' KP. There's no maybe to it, at all. And it's nearer than you think. The guy that can make you happy today, and all the days after that, is definitely out there." He raised an arm and waved it in the direction of the plate glass window next to them. "Somewhere out _there_."

Almost instantaneously Kim felt a searing pain over her left eye. Somehow, though, she could force a weak smile as she mumbled out, "Hope you're right about that, Prophecy Boy."

"Yeah." Ron stood up and jerked his head toward the rest rooms. "Be back in a minute."

_He did it to me again! Again! _The sound of creaking metal informed her that she was pressing down forcibly on their table with spread fingers, so she sat back and tried to massage away a tension headache more sudden and more intense than any she had ever experienced.

_I hope he enjoyed Ron Night on Friday back at the Dragonfly because it's going to be a __freakin' long time__ before he gets another one of those!_

_Anyway, I don't know what he thinks romance is really all about, or just what kind of girl he's looking for, but he sure isn't going to find her as long as he's joined at the hip with me. We need to spend more time apart. Far apart! _

_Yeah, right, and what happens the next time a mission comes up? Go that alone, too? Most, if not all of the bruises I'm suffering from right now were received when we were apart. Which is kinda ironic considering the number I did on his hand a little while ago..._

_So, he'll take a bullet for me - or much, much worse - but not date me? _

The sun had completely disappeared now and the darkness outside meant that Kim's reflection was clearly distinguishable to her in the nearest window. Her hand traveled upwards to touch her hair and then her face. "I'm not... It isn't... "

_Forget objectivity, Possible. That's a tough one even on a good day. Just concentrate on the cold hard facts. And keep in mind that sometimes a person's greatest defects don't show up in the mirror. _

She looked around once more but all the booths she could see were still empty. _Well, get used __to that. Because__ if even fourteen years of friendship can't balance out your faults then, well... Well, maybe I should just reserve my spot here for Prom Night right now. _

Kim placed her head down on the table - but only, _only_ because its cool smoothness helped to sooth the throbbing pain now coming from both temples.

It seemed that she was tormented by her own merciless thoughts for hours, but in reality it was probably less than a minute. A low and distant metallic clatter from the kitchen area caused her to sit up abruptly. She glanced around once again, then took several deep, quick breaths while her gaze focused on the door to the Men's Room at the end of the corridor.

_Sleep deprivation. That's what's going on with me right now. That and talking the GJ nurse into letting me do a double blood donation when technically I'm under the weight limit to go even once. Clearly my judgment has been impaired. I lost the ability to see the world rationally._

_Ron, Kim? Ron? Get a grip, Possible! I mean, yeah, as best friends go, he's great. None better. Well, most of the time, anyway. He has raised cluelessness to a fine art. And Ron definitely has a thoughtless, even selfish side to him. That's been shown plenty over the years. _

_But as a romantic partner? Come on! Do you really want your first boyfriend __to still own__ three different pairs of comic book character pajamas? That I know of! Or who thinks the greatest philosopher of the Twentieth Century was Snowman Hank?_

_Maybe someday he might make a good boyfriend... some far off decade. The raw material is there. I guess. But he has got so much growing up still to do first. For now his 'hierarchy of needs' consists entirely of junk food, video games, and avoiding hard work. And the latter means no serious relationships. Too much effort required. Besides, when you have the emotional maturity of a Fifth Grader, girls may be tolerated, but never pursued. Just not something he's interested in._

_Any girl would get the same response I did. __Anyone__!_

Something prompted her to look up at that moment. Ron was back now, with his collar and most of the hair that fringed his face visibly damp.

She wasn't entirely successful in keeping the brusqueness out of her voice as she asked, "What, you fall in or something?"

He flapped the front of his mission shirt a few times while staring down to the floor. "Ehh... That faucet handle in there got stuck again." He met her gaze for a fraction of a second. "Ready to go now?"

"Yep. I'd say it's time to move on."

He nodded and began to reach for her overnight bag.

"Don't." Ron froze in place and she added, "If somebody who knows us sees _you_ carrying my stuff, they're going to think I'm dying."

He gathered up his own luggage and turned away. She spent a moment settling the straps of her bags on different parts of her shoulder before deciding it was going to hurt no matter where the weight came to rest.

Lips pressed tightly together, Kim began walking rapidly toward the exit. Her ears told her he was following but she didn't realize how close he was until she extended her hand toward the exit door handle.

Ron got there first and tugged it open forcefully. Too forcefully because it banged into her right arm.

"Haven't you already done-" Kim bit off the rest of the sentence with an effort.

"I'm sorry, KP! Really, really sorry."

"Why were you even trying to open a door for me, anyway? That's not _you_."

"I- I don't know. I wasn't thinking, I guess."

"Yeah, well, that's a-" Again she censored herself, then waved him through the entrance way with an irritated gesture.

Outside it was cool and breezy, with a damp feel to the air**, **although it was not actually raining at the moment.

"But, um, maybe what just happened with the door isn't all bad, Kim."

_I might agree if it had been _you_ on the receiving end! _"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

He pointed to her right arm. "Your Dad might not notice that you're hurt, KP. But your Mom will."

Kim looked down at herself, then back at him.

"So when they ask you what happened, you can tell them - _honestly_, since I know that's important to you - that I nailed you twice with a door this weekend. Nobody would find that hard to believe... "

The sadness in his last sentence was obvious but she was in no mood to offer any words of comfort. "Ah, twice?"

"Yeah. Remember, I popped you with a car door when we got back from Whateley's place."

_Yes, another of the recent times you ticked me off royally. But that turned out okay because you thought you were protecting me from myself. Certainly not the case now, is it?_

_Is it? _

But she had no time to contemplate the question because he suddenly waved his fist through the air and cried out, "Snap! I forgot about the pain pills."

Kim saw a family was walking toward the doorway and pointed for Ron to come with her around the corner of the building.

"There aren't any pain pills left. We used them all up."

"I know, KP. So I asked the doctor at Global Justice to refill the bottles. That-that way, you wouldn't have to tell your parents about how the weekend really went. Y'know, not until you wanted to, at least."

Some time passed before she asked in a more subdued voice, "Any other news flashes for me?"

"Well, I made Spode pay for everything that you had to go through this weekend."

"Come again."

"I know, the good guys aren't supposed to be about revenge or vengeance, but sometimes, well... Sorry, but I'm just not sorry."

"I... He... He's a pretty big guy, Ron."

"Yeah, so?"

"Spode used to be in the SAS."

"Well, that accent of his does get annoying, but, uh... "

"Okay, something is just isn't adding up here, because I'm not seeing how there's anyway you could-"

Ron took a small folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "I had to guess about the total and I knew you wouldn't accept it if he made it too high... "

It was a check rather than a GJ expense voucher, in the amount of four hundred dollars, and drawn on the private bank account of Roderick and Eulalie Spode of Scarsdale, New York.

"Now I understand the 'pay for everything' line. But why exactly did Spode feel the need to _personally_ reimburse me for my ruined clothes and cell phone?"

"A bit of a mystery there, I agree."

She considered the jagged line of the check's upper edge. "Looks like it got yanked out of a checkbook kind of forcefully. And you can see that the tip of the pen was actually pushed though the paper in three different places."

"I guess he wasn't in a smiley face kinda mood just then."

She turned from his expressionless face, and in the direction of the booth they had occupied a short time ago. The latter sight caused her head to pound with renewed vigor but there was no emotion at all in her voice when she said, "I think it's time to start back."

Not until they had reached their own block did Kim break the silence to ask, "What are you going to do now?"

"Go home."

"But your parents are at _our_ house right now. Remember, Memorial Day Cook Out."

"So? I'll see 'em tomorrow. Or one day this week for sure."

"Your bed's not going anywhere. Come on over for awhile."

"I'm beat, Kim, I-"

"Fine. Whatever."

The sudden return of a curt tone caused him to look in her direction for the first time since they had left the restaurant. "Uh, is your Aunt June gonna be there?"

"Like always."

"With her Ambrosia Salad?"

"Unless they've amended the Criminal Code since last year, yes."

"It's really not that bad, KP."

"Then come and have some. The more of it you can eat, the less likely it will be for the rest of us to fall into diabetic comas."

"I suppose I could stay for a few minutes... "

Kim assumed a nonchalant expression and increased the pace of her steps._ If I didn't need him to, unknowingly, run interference with my mother right now, I wouldn't care one bit whether he came over or not. Means nothing to me. It's not like I'm gonna miss being around him after all the togetherness of this weekend... _

_No! Not a chance! And the fact that Ron's the only other person in the world who _really_ knows what we went through down there underground with Whateley doesn't mean anything to me either. But Mom _is_ going to ask me about my future with him, and right now I just don't have the mental energy to mislead her without actually lying. So the longer that conversation gets delayed, the better. _

_Ehhh, and I gotta figure out what I'm going to say to Monique about her song suggestion, too. _

Thinking of school prompted Kim to snarl, "You make sure you set both of your alarm clocks tonight. And put your phone right by the side of your bed - with the ringer turned up to loud."

From somewhere behind her came the question, "Why?"

"Because you're going to be back at my house at 6:30 tomorrow morning so we can get in some review time for that Chemistry test in First Hour."

"Oh, right."

"Unless you've now decided you don't care about getting into college anymore, because I so don't feel like wasting my time if-"

"I do care, Kim! I do!" He had caught up with her again and despite the darkness she recognized the hesitancy on his face.

"Got something else on your mind here, or just thinking we should stop and give all the mosquitoes in town an evening snack?"

He fiddled with the straps of his backpack for several seconds before asking, "KP, do you really think we can keep the friendship thing going forev- for a long- even after high school?"

One nasty reply after another flitted through her brain, but eventually Kim settled for the answer that she believed unquestioningly. With a repressed sigh she told him, "Ron, I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

* * *

Author Notes:

Did you ever wonder why there were so many hints in Season Three of the "Kim Possible" TV series that the two leads were beginning to see each other in a more than platonic fashion ("Steal Wheels," "Bad Boy," "Gorilla Fist," and even the conclusion of "Emotion Sickness") and yet in "So the Drama" KP publicly states that to her Ron is "just a friend," and that he is not "boyfriend material?"

For that matter, why, if Kim truly has no romantic feelings toward Ron at that point, do his four rather ambiguous words ("Out there, in here.") cause her to completely contradict her spoken words and almost literally drag him off to the first of many dates together?

Also, "So the Drama" begins with Kim asking for Ron's help in a fight, an extremely rare occurrence for her, and certainly a growing sign of respect for him and his resourcefulness in their mission work. Even so, in that same short TV movie we see her (unjustly) accusing him of frequently letting bad guys get away. And was there ever a more vicious moment in the entire (televised) Kim/Ron relationship than the former's wave to her best friend from the back of Erik's motorcycle?

In my opinion Kim had very conflicted feelings toward Ron through most of "So the Drama," and didn't always manage to keep her anger concealed from view. We are never told directly what the cause of that resentment is, but from comments Kim makes at various points in the story it appears to be related to his perceived failure to assume a more mature outlook on life, or perhaps more specifically, in terms of their relationship. "Undercover" is my explanation for where her negative emotions came from.

In my story I have also tried to address the question of why Kim's parents ever let her start up the crime fighting activities in the first place, and generally attempted to redeem her in the eyes of this web site's many Kim bashers, but that was just me going for extra credit!

So if this mission and this weekend have finally come to an end for Kim and Ron, why didn't I change my status here to 'Completed?' Because it is my belief that a story this ridiculously long demands a happy ending. Watch for the **final** installment of "Undercover" to arrive next month.

U.N.I.T. and Gallifrey are borrowed from the BBC television series "Doctor Who" which was created by Sydney Newman - with reinvention credit going to Russell T. Davies.

Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, Wade, and Rufus were all created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

All of these characters and concepts are used here without the permission of the respective copyright holders, but admiration rather than financial gain is the motivation.


	28. Destiny

**UNDERCOVER**

A Kim Possible fan fiction

By Michael Howard

(Author Note: This epilogue takes place eighteen days after Memorial Day, near the end of Kim and Ron's Junior Year in High School, and is rated T for some very adult themes.)

* * *

**28. Destiny**

Friday Evening:

His vow to never let that moment end was sincere, heartfelt even, but biological imperatives were not to be indefinitely denied. Their lips parted and he gulped in mouthfuls of air.

"Try breathing through your nose, Ron," she murmured, their faces close enough for him to not just hear, but to feel the words on his face. "One of those life skills that children have no use for, but... Well, you might want to work on that, okay?"

Kim Possible's eyes sparkled in the reflected illumination of the lights streaming down from the gymnasium ceiling, and the filmy material of her gown took on a shimmering quality, while every strand of her hair seemed to glow with its own distinctive coppery incandescence.

_She's like an angel come to down to Earth, _decided Ron Stoppable. _And we just kissed in front of everybody at this dance!_

He searched her face for signs of displeasure - or nausea - but saw only... happiness? She was certainly smiling, and more broadly, warmly than he had seen from her in weeks. One of her hands rested lightly on his shoulder while the other was pressed more firmly against the small of his back. _Almost like she doesn't want me to get away. _

_Well, you're here at the Prom with Kim because she invited you. Sort of. Just not actually in words. Pretty much all she's said to me in the last hour was, 'If you still know what's good for you, you'll go put your tux on again and be back here in ten, no, better make that five minutes.'_

_But there was a funny catch in her voice as she said it, so it seemed almost like a plea rather than a threat..._

Their eyes met again and then in perfect unison each said, "I can't believe this is really happening!"

"But it is," Kim continued. "And by the way... " She lifted her eyebrows slightly. "Jinx!"

"Aw, man! Some things never change."

"And some things do. Eventually. Which is why we're here. Together."

He nodded. "And that kiss... it wasn't weird, was it, KP?"

"No!" She lowered her voice to ask, "Wa-was it for you?"

"Just the opposite of weird, I'd say. It felt... comfortable. Natural."

"And long, long overdue." A more contemplative look came to Kim as she added, "By about twelve years. Twelve years and four months almost to the day."

"I know we're in school - sort of - but you aren't really gonna make me do any math right now, are you?"

He got an indulgent look. "I'm talking about kissing. Our very first one."

"Christmas before last. Under the mistletoe."

"Wrong. But I'll give you partial credit for finding that one... memorable. Twelve and a quarter years takes us back to our Valentine's Day party in Kindergarten."

"We kissed back then?"

"Technically it was just me kissing you. What you did was scream, and stick your head under a faucet, and demand to be sent to the school nurse." Her smile faltered a bit as she gently moved her palms back and forth along the tops of his shoulders. "Bonnie laughed and laughed."

"I... don't remember that. But I'm sorry."

"Well, we _were_ only five... " Her mouth gave a half twist. "Anyway, I repaid you for it. With interest."

"That's right, you did. It's coming back to me now. When we were little. How you would pucker up and get me to do whatever you wanted."

"The ultimate torture device: Girl cooties. It was a win-win for me. Either I'd get my own way - or I'd make you suffer for rejecting me. I could be petty like that." She looked away from him for a moment. "Back then."

"Seems to me those standoffs always ended the same way; I'd get kissed _and_ we'd do whatever you wanted."

"How did the friendship ever last to now?"

"Maybe I didn't mind those kisses as much as I claimed. I sure didn't have a problem with the one I got that Christmas."

"Or the Moodulator one, or the kiss during that undercover mission in Connecticut?"

"No complaints there either," he assured her.

"Right," she said tonelessly. "But all those kisses had one thing in common. Every single one of them was my idea. You never, ever initiated a kiss - or even a hug that I can recall - between us. Until today that is."

"Kim, I... It isn't that... "

She glanced around them. "When did the song end?"

"What song?"

" 'Could It Be.' That's what we just danced to."

He shrugged. "I didn't notice. Too distracted."

"And why is every single person in this room staring at us?" She stepped back and snagged his hand. "Come on. Let's, um, ah, over there."

The grinning crowd parted before them and they moved toward the farthest corner of the gym. Two folding chairs were grabbed along the way and placed a few feet apart with Kim taking the one facing away from the dance floor.

"Okay. So. Where were we?"

"Talking about kissing, I believe."

"Interesting topic," she allowed. "But there are better ways to spend time than _talking_ about kissing, don't you think?"

Kim's lips parted slightly and she tilted her head a few degrees to one side. Her eyes shown with an emerald fire and it almost seemed that she gave off waves of heat.

This one was still longer, less gentle, and their heads moved a little this time.

Eventually, their mouths separated, if only by a few inches, and Kim whispered, "The slow learner label, Ron? You just smashed it beyond repair. Unless, maybe there are other romantic surprises in your past that I still don't know about... "

"You've got the whole story there, KP."

"Actually, I don't. There's still a big unanswered question in my head."

"What's that?"

She took a deep breath. "Why did you speak up like you did back at the Bueno Nacho office building? Did I suddenly get... pretty or something?"

"Kim, you've been the best looking girl at this school since the day you got here."

Her eyes widened noticeably at the fervor in his voice. "Ahh, okay. But that still doesn't explain why you took the plunge tonight."

He stared down at their joined hands for a moment. "Couple different reasons, I guess. For one thing, earlier tonight, for a few horrible seconds, I was afraid that Er- uh, that helper of Drakken's-"

"You can say the name, Ron." Her face contorted unpleasantly for an instant and her knuckles showed white. "_Its_ name. Erik. I... It must have been emitting some kind of artificial pheromones," she added vehemently. "I wouldn't have been fooled by any ordinary robot."

"All of us were tricked, Kim. Everybody who saw him. It. But whatever you call that thing, I thought... I thought he had killed you, okay? And that I'd never get to tell you... stuff. Stuff that's been in my mind for a long time."

"Death, or the expectation of it, does seem to clarify things in a person's mind," she agreed, a contemplative look suddenly coming over her. "But anyway, you've got your chance now."

"Uh... now? You mean like _now _now?"

A corner of her mouth lifted. "I was thinking that, yeah."

He hesitated but the memory of seeing her seemingly lifeless body back at BN HQ was motivation enough. "KP, if Erik wasn't evil - or artificial - he'd still be dangerous. Very dangerous, because, uh... " He closed his eyes for an instant, then fixed his gaze on her. "Because watching you crush on another guy again is going to just about kill me."

"So you're saying the feelings you have for me are, um... "

"Not so friendish any more."

"Okay, that word isn't in any dictionary I've ever consulted. But... maybe it should be, since I've been having, um, more than friendly feelings about you for a while now." She gave him a timid smile. "A long while."

"Like for twelve years?" The note of amused skepticism in his tone caused her to make a wry face.

"Okay, so it wasn't every minute of those twelve years. There were detours along the way. For both of us." Something in his expression caused her to add more emphatically, "_Both_ of us, Ron. I had Josh and you had... Zita."

"Well, KP, I wouldn't really... "

"You crushed on her, Ron. Big time. Don't deny it. I remember back then I once asked you - practically begged you - to get me out of some lame-o family event my Dad was dragging me off to. I can't even think of what it was now, but you made it real clear that you had plans with Zita and I wasn't going to get you to cancel them." She wrinkled her nose. "I wrote three pages in my diary that night."

"Why?"

"Because it bothered me. A lot. But I was floating down the denial river in those days so I couldn't admit even to myself that I was royally tweaked.

"Anyway, the idea that you and I were, or at least someday might be more than just friends first occurred to me back when we were five and it was never, _ever_ completely forgotten."

"I guess I've been holding on to that thought for a long while, too, KP."

"But I even tried to bring the subject up a couple of times."

"I sure don't remember _that_."

"Actually, I bet you do. Think back to Seventh Grade?"

He considered this for a moment. "The time you kissed Walter Nelson?"

"Not liking the sudden frown there, Ron. So let me ask you something. Did you ever wonder why I called _you_ back then when our braces locked together? Not my parents, not Walter's parents, you."

"Well, I can't say I got a lot of enjoyment seeing you two...close like that. But I figured you just... panicked."

"No, that didn't happen until I saw you brought your Mom up to the playground with you." She gave him a tight smile. "If you had come up _alone, _and got us free, I would have sent Walter away, and then we could have had a talk."

"About what?"

"Oh, maybe seeing if your opinion about kissing had changed in all the years since Kindergarten."

"Man, KP, why not just ask me flat out?"

"Because I wasn't sure what you would say and I didn't want to be rejected. Again. Remember who we're dealing with here, Ron. The girl who prefers fighting villains to confronting her feelings."

"So I derailed the master plan."

"It was more like a last minute inspiration than a thought-out-in advance plan, but, yeah, the romance thing was definitely put on hold for a few years longer."

Ron watched their classmates dance energetically for a moment, then said, "You did a good job on the music choices, Kim."

"Thanks, but Monique is probably responsible for this one, too."

" 'I'm A Believer' huh? It fits, KP. It really fits the moment."

Kim returned his smile. "An oldie but a goodie," she agreed. "This is a Smashmouth cover, but Mom told me the song goes back to like the Fifties. I only remember because the original band was called- Well, it doesn't really matter right now."

They kissed three times in rapid succession, then she turned to consider the dancers. "There's something symbolic about this. Or is it ironic?"

"Could be both," he offered vaguely. "Or neither."

She considered him through narrowed eyes, then smiled dismissively and said, "We went to all of our dances in Middle School together, correct?"

He nodded.

"First year of High School, same deal."

"Right again."

"With the same procedure every time. We'd be on the dance floor together for all the fast ones, and then sit out the slow ones."

"Right," said Ron, the lightness in his heart beginning to dim slightly._ I think I know where this is going..._

"But there was one time when I thought we'd vary the routine a little."

He let his breath out. "Our Freshman Year Prom."

"You remember that one too, huh? When a fast song ended and a slow one started and you were about to run off for the snack table like always, and I asked you to keep dancing with me."

" 'Just humor me.' That's what you said."

"I didn't think it was such an unreasonable request, but apparently I was wrong." She was obviously working hard to keep the hurt and the bitterness out of her voice. "So how long would you say that slow dance lasted? For us I mean? Fifteen seconds? Twenty? Hard to be sure of that anymore two full years down the road. But I am absolutely certain of what you said - out loud - as you bolted for the door." She pointed off to her left. "That door right over there. You said 'This is wrong.' "

"And the very next school dance that came up, you went to with Josh."

"Y-yeah." She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it several times. "This is _not_ going to become Ron bashing night, and I've got no interest in rehashing every real or imagined slight I've received from you over the years. But there's a disconnect here between me being 'the best looking girl at this school' - your words, not mine - and you practically knocking me to the floor in your mad rush to get away."

In a scarcely audible voice he told her, "It _would_ make sense to you, Kim. If you knew about the dream."

"The dream?"

"The one I had two nights before that dance."

"Go on."

"Y-you were in it."

"All right."

"And I was."

"Doesn't sound all that remarkable so far. But go on."

"We, uh... Something happened."

"Feels like I'm pulling teeth here, Ron."

He stared at her bared knees a moment before saying, "KP, in this dream you and I did something. _Together_."

Her mouth made an 'O' shape. "I see... " Her eyes darted about the gym for several seconds before returning to his. "Well, okay, but Ron you didn't have any control over that. And anyway, I can admit that I... I, uh... I've heard that girls have dreams like that, too."

"Not _exactly_ like that, Kim. They can't. But I'm still not making my point here, I think. I need to go back farther.

"I never had a sister, KP. Or ever will, of course. And since I had nothing to compare it to, for a long time I thought my feelings for you - strong, strong feelings that seemed to go beyond even what best friends should have for each other - Well, I decided that you were like a sister to me."

"Yeah, um, and you can quote me here when I say: Ewwww!"

"Hey, I don't think that way anymore! And I haven't for a long time."

"Uh, thank you!"

"But I did back then. So when the dream and then the slow dance came up so close together, and you had your hair up kinda like you do now, and you had perfume on for the first time, and the dress you wore that night was just so shiny, and, well... I kind of... "

"Freaked out when you realized we had interacting parts?"

"Ah, now see I was going to say temporarily overwhelmed by your charms, but, yeah, that works, too."

She mulled this over for several seconds. "The explanation comes about two years too late, but it still helps a little. So, deciding not to see me as a _sibling _anymore, I guess that was a gradual process for you."

"Uh uh. Happened in a flash."

"Really? When was it?"

"The night I got locked in a janitor's closet while you danced with Mankey."

She blew air through her lips. "I see. But that means for about a year and a half you _like_ liked me, and still never said anything. Not one single hint in all that time that you _ever_ saw me as anything but a boy who happens to wear lots of pastel colors."

"I wasn't sure how you would react to that, and I didn't want to mess up the friendship. I can't _not_ have you in my life, Kim. I just can't!"

"That's about as likely as you swearing off cheese, Ron."

He grinned. "Anyway, you didn't tell me you weren't with Josh during that time, so I thought you still were."

"I saw you almost daily during all those months. And for most of _this_ year, up until a few weeks back anyway, you and me were spending just about every Friday evening together. So when would I have had all these hot and heavy dates with Josh? Or any boy for that matter?"

"I... don't know. Anyway, I always tried to avoid thinking about you out with other guys as much as I could."

"That concept bothered you?"

He nodded solemnly.

"You sure did a good job of not showing it. A lot better than me when a girl got close to you." Kim put the back of her hand up to her mouth, and breathed through her nose. "I... This is... " With a smile and a shake of her head she added, "It's a good thing I'm sitting down here, because it's like one bombshell after another is dropping on my head."

"But they're good bombshells, right, KP?"

"Umm, 'good bombshells'? Not sure those two words ever belong in the same sentence, Ron, but I have no complaints about how this evening is turning out. Not one."

More kisses followed, with accompanying caresses and hair stroking. He was vaguely aware that a different song was being played over the gymnasium's sound system now, one he had danced to enthusiastically in the past, but he had absolutely no desire to leave his chair at that moment. And he was starting to reach the point where that might actually become embarrassing anyway...

"Okay, Kim... I-I need to hit the pause button here for a minute."

Their faces separated by about a foot, just far enough for the rapid rise and fall of her... upper torso to be visible.

_Okay, that doesn't help the situation one bit._

"You... " she breathed.

"Huh?"

"You... "

"Yeah?"

"You had feelings for me. But you still encouraged me to get together with Josh. Why?"

Ron sighed and grimaced. "KP, I've always thought that being your best friend is a privilege. But I wouldn't have any right to call myself that if I didn't want you to be happy."

"And you believed that Josh could make me happy but not you?"

"Well, there's different kinds of happiness, Kim. Sometimes it's gone in a flash. Other times it can... last."

She gave him a quizzical look. "Why does that remind me of something? Happy now, happy tomorrow. Where did I... ?"

Suddenly her eyes got very large. "Ron! When we came back from Connecticut last month we stopped off at Bueno Nacho and you said, um, let me think of the exact words...

"Okay! You said, 'There is a perfect guy for you, KP. Someone who will make you happy today _and_ all the days after that.' I... So, you thought I didn't really mean what I was saying - or feeling then. That I'd take it back the next day, like it was just some kind of temporary insanity. That's right, isn't it?"

"Umm, actually I thought you _wouldn't_ take it back, even if you met somebody you liked better later on, and then you'd end up resenting the invitation - and resent me, too, for, uh... "

"For taking advantage of my... " One corner of her mouth curled up derisively. "My moment of weakness?"

Unable to meet her gaze at that moment, he could only look down to the floor.

Kim groaned. "This would almost be funny... if it wasn't so painfully cruel - to the both of us." A finger and thumb touched his chin and raised his eyes back to hers. In a lowered tone she said, "For the last month and a half now, I've been wondering - secretly wondering when no one else was around - why I wasn't good enough for you, and all this time you were thinking you weren't good enough for me."

"You? Not good enough for _me_-"

"You did reject me twice in the recent past, Ron. Not as little kids, not back at the start of high school. Now. When I had the Moodulator on and then again on Memorial Day. Two separate kicks to the head.

"Do you have any idea what it feels like to be rejected by the boy who knows you better than anyone else in the world?"

"I wasn't rejecting you, Kim! I was trying to do the right-"

"It leaves you in a very vulnerable emotional state. Especially when you're too prideful to talk about it. With anyone. Ron, I couldn't even tell my mother what really happened when we got back from New York. And I came as close to lying to her as I ever want to do again in my life."

Aware of a painful lump in his throat, Ron said, "Kim, I am so, so sorry. I thought I was doing what was best for both of us."

She smiled wistfully. "And where does the path of good intentions usually end up taking people to?"

He nodded his understanding.

"There's nobody in the world who knows me as well as you, Ron. Nobody. _Except_ when you refuse to believe what you see in front of you.

"When I had the Moodulator on, I acted weird. Obviously. But did you ever think to yourself for even one minute at the time that I was being mind controlled?"

"Eh, no."

"Yeah, and neither did Monique. Or my parents! Three rather intelligent individuals, wouldn't you say? And none of them asked who put these strange thoughts in Kimmie's head. Or even why I was showing those feelings so openly. To most of the people who know us, that moment, ah, actually," she paused to give him a quick peck on the lips, "actually, _this_ moment, was as inevitable as... " She made a sound of amusement. "Well, to paraphrase Dr. Director, as inevitable as the sun rising after a long, dark night."

He shook his head ruefully. "Yeah, but I slowed down the fatefulness. By years! Who needs Monkey Fist around? I'm my own worst enemy!"

She silenced him with another kiss. "Y'know, Ron, as tempting as it would be to just drop _all_ the blame here on you, I can't, won't do that. The painful truth is that I'm at least as much at fault here. At least." With a faltering voice she added, "I've said such nasty things to you over the years. Things that probably made you believe that I _never_ wanted to date. Like somehow you weren't worthy of me.

"What a laugh that is. The way you always supported me with Josh, while I kept Tara's interest in you my own dirty little secret clearly shows who is the _better _person here."

"Kim, come on-"

"No, Ron, let me finish! With all the snarkiness I've sent your way - prompted by my own frustrations and insecurities - the fact that you could still speak up like you did tonight back at the BN Building was just...

"I'm going to do Joss one better here and say that you are absolutely the bravest, most courageous person I know."

"KP, I just... I don't... "

"Don't know what to say? Good. 'Cause I've got one more observation to make." She paused for a breath. "You've heard me say before that things happen for a reason."

"Sure."

"In retrospect here - _only_ in retrospect, mind you - I'm actually glad the dating deal didn't kick off Freshman Year. Sophomore Year, either."

"You are?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because things hadn't all fallen into place yet."

"I don't know what that means, Kim."

She gave him an apologetic look. "The way I've treated you since we got back from Connecticut shows there's still a ways to go on my path of self improvement. But even so, I think I've done a lot of maturing over the last few years. I'm less shallow and more aware of my own faults. And I'm more willing to consider other people's feelings, rather than just focus on their opinions of _me_. I've grown as a person and I would like to believe I'm more deserving now of being your... girlfriend."

"Kim, I... That's just... " He found himself unable to speak any more as tears suddenly filled his eyes.

"Ron? Ron, c'mon... Y'know some boys would see dating me as a _good_ thing."

"It's all like a dream come true," he managed to choke out. "I just never thought this would ever actually happen."

"Ron, stop it... I've got mascara on... "

The strained quality that had come to her voice told him she was close to crying herself but still he was unable to get a grip on his emotions.

"I'm sorry, Kim... " His shoulders began to heave and he thrust his hand into his pants pocket in search of a handkerchief.

She made a sniffing sound and through his blurry vision he saw her shake her head in an effort to maintain her own composure.

"Tw-twenty-three, Ron. Twenty-three."

"What?"

"That's how many tickle spots you had last time I checked. But that was years ago, so it's probably time to do another inventory."

She brought her curled fingers up close to his face and he gently batted them away. "KP, you are _not_ going to-"

The sentence ended abruptly with a squeal of laughter.

"We're dating now, Ron. I've got no problems laying hands on you."

She did just that and he was quickly reduced to a state of squirming, giggling helplessness.

Kim relented only when he was close to falling off of his seat. "Okay... All right. I'm better now." He panted a few times and then blew his nose loudly.

"Um, couldn't I have borrowed that for like five seconds, first?"

"I've got more handkerchiefs, KP. For some reason my Dad told me to bring a bunch tonight."

She dabbed at her eyes for a moment. "Yeah, I bet I look like a raccoon now."

"No, you don't. But even if you did, you'd still be the prettiest girl here."

"And if I was aiming a Truth Ray at you?"

"Then you'd hear me say that same thing over and over again."

Kim opened her mouth but no words emerged. Instead she smiled and crooked a finger at him.

He rained at least a dozen kisses upon her lips and face and hair and occasionally even on his own hands that cradled her head.

"Okay, you have almost caught up to the number of kisses I gave you in kindergarten," said Kim, taking advantage of a moment when her mouth wasn't otherwise engaged. Still more kisses came her way, and she murmured, "Now we'll move on to first grade."

She started giving back some of those kisses, prompting him to slow down his pace while lengthening each one's duration.

After a minute or more of that, he brought his mouth close to her ear and whispered, "You know what I'm thinking, KP?"

"I'm starting to get _some_ idea, yeah."

"That we should get out of here."

"Uh huh."

"Find some place more secluded."

Her kisses came faster now. "Right."

"And start planning the wedding."

Instantly her slender frame went from soft and pliant to statue rigid. "Sa-say what?"

"I know, Wade's offline temporarily because of the Diablos, but we can do the research ourselves. How old do you have to be? Should we get our parent's permission? What kind of ceremony would we have? And then there's the honeymoon deal. Hey, wouldn't it be funny if we went back to... Stars... Hollow?

"Kim, you're not saying anything." He studied her face carefully and decided she was in a state of shock. "I just... screwed up here didn't I? Uh huh, there goes the shortest romance on record. Gahhh! Could I be anymore stu-"

Kim interrupted him with their most passionate kiss yet, involving not just lips but teeth and tongue as well, while her hands reached inside his jacket. And every place a part of her touched a part of him, he felt an electric thrill of pleasure.

"Okay," gasped Kim, after an unknown amount of time had passed. "Okay, ah... What was I going to say? Oh, right. First, umm, with or without parental approval, seventeen year olds shouldn't get married. Ever. Second, I'm am very, very flattered that you brought up the marriage deal. After all those years of playing hard to get - whether you meant to or not - that proposal was exactly what my slightly bruised ego needed to hear. Third, remember it's _never_ a mistake to tell me what you're thinking, Ron. That is the most important lesson here for both of us."

She gave him an affectionate look. "Which all adds up to a very mixed message I'm sending to you. But I hope it still kind of makes sense."

"It does, Kim. It makes a lot of sense." He half smiled and rubbed the back of his neck a moment. "So we can pretend I didn't just mention that... that idea."

"No can do. Because there will be no more pretending between us. Right?"

"Right!"

"Okay then. You suggested the two of us go someplace more private. That sounds good to me, because I know we're putting on quite a show here."

"Well, Bueno Nacho is going to be out of commission for a while... "

"Actually there's supposed to be a place on Freilassing Road with an amazing view of Mount Middleton that I've been hearing about for years now. Let's go check it out. Together."

"Sounds badical, Kim." He looked over at the closest wall clock. "But that's on the other side of town and it's already kinda late."

"So? We've got a rocket-powered motor scooter parked outside, remember?"

"KP, your curfew kicks in less than twenty minutes from now."

They stared at each other for several seconds before she gave him a rueful smile. "The watching my back thing, looks like dating isn't going to stop that."

He smiled back. "Nope."

She gave a resigned sigh. "Plan B it is, then. We head home - with maybe, uh, a quick detour over to our old preschool building."

"Badical squared!"

"Now, for tomorrow I was thinking we'd start the day-"

"Listen up, people!" The stentorian bass of Steven Barkin cut through the giant room like a cannon shot, and an instant later the sound system had gone as silent as the crowd of dancers. "The Superintendent has _finally_ authorized the release of the remaining students still on campus. Those requiring the use of a school phone to arrange transportation will line up _here_. Those who do not, will line up _here_ and await the arrival of a parent or other legal guardian."

Although neither position was anywhere near Kim and Ron's location, the two best friends quickly found themselves surrounded by a knot of teenagers. Every one of them seemed determined to speak at the same time so individual comments were almost impossible to distinguish. Kim and Ron had to content themselves with smiling and nodding at their fellow students.

It didn't take him long to realize she was distracted and spent nearly as much time scanning different parts of the gymnasium as she did responding the people in front of her. This puzzled Ron until a familiar voice came to him from somewhere beyond the ring of well-wishers.

"Step aside! Move it over! BGF coming through!"

Kim's head swiveled about more quickly now. "Monique? Monique!"

The two young women threw themselves into each other's arms and a torrent of words seemed to pour out of them both. Ron tried to follow the conversation but found their voices much more rapid fire and higher pitched than was ordinarily the case.

"Well, they seem happy."

He turned to see Hope was a few feet away with Tara and Angela flanking her. All three cheerleaders were smiling.

"Not any happier than I am, ladies. Nobody could be."

"I'd say happiness is the order of the day here," remarked Angela.

"That's right, Kid Clueless. Don't be thinking you've cornered the market on happy."

Ron faced toward Monique, who had her arms extended and was giving him an expectant look. He had received many obligatory hugs in his life, but this one certainly seemed sincere. All he could do was grunt as she embraced him with surprising strength.

She whispered, "Ron, I can't tell you how geeked I am about this. Best move of your life, buddy boy."

He nodded, then realized when they were hugging she couldn't see his head. "I know, Mon, I know."

As they parted, he heard Hope ask, "So does this mean Kim really _didn't _get zapped by that love machine last month?"

"Yeah," chimed in Angela, "What's up with that, Cap? Were you just using it as cover?"

Kim had finished hugging Tara by this point. "Ah, it's complicated."

"But the shorthand answer is the whatzit was real and it opened a door that neither one of them was able to - or really wanted to - close back up again."

"Well put, BGF." Kim met Ron's gaze. By some unspoken agreement, they moved close together and joined hands.

"All right, girls. Place your bets. I predict that in an hour or less these two will find themselves in another struggle - with each other!"

"Got that right, Hope," agreed Angela. "The only question is... who's gonna be on defense!"

Kim was getting a bit pink about the cheeks now, but her smile was sincere as she hugged and bantered with the members of her squad. Tara gave Ron a hug, too, perhaps a bit more self-consciously than Monique, but the other cheerleaders settled for a teasing poke or a pat.

Afterwards, again seemingly without conscious thought, his hand found Kim's. Hope noticed this and gestured. "There you go. Like they've been hooked up their whole lives. But, Oh Em Effin' Gee, if I had a dollar for every time I heard Kim say-"

"Ooh, I know that one!" interjected Tara.

"So do I," added Angela. "And I've only been on the Squad since April."

Marcella was now within earshot as well, so four cheerleaders and Monique all joined together for a chant of "Ron and me are just friends!"

Kim raised her face to the ceiling and shook her head, but when she met Ron's eyes again, her expression clearly offered him both apology and a smoldering promise of restitution.

Then, as if a switch had been thrown, conversation and laughter came to a sudden stop. Ron turned around to see Bonnie was now standing about six feet away.

In a subdued voice the brunette ventured, "Some kind of crazy night, huh?"

No one responded so Bonnie went on in a more pointed tone, "So, Kim, where is Erik, anyway?"

"He, um... "

Ron stifled a groan as his new girlfriend's hand unknowingly tightened on his.

"If you'd watched the news like the rest of us," said Angela, "you'd know that Erik wasn't a real guy. Just some kind of robot balloon thing."

"It's true, Bonnie," continued Tara. "There was a man on the building across the street who caught the whole fight on his cell phone camera."

" 'The Battle of the Tower,' I heard one newscaster call it," offered Marcella. "Kim was amazing."

"So was Ron!" insisted Tara.

By this point Rufus had been passed hand over hand through the crowd until he could leap onto Ron's shoulder. "And, ladies, let's not forget about the contributions of this little guy. Rufus was there too, providing molar support."

Kim winced at that, while the mole rat pressed a paw against his throat and pantomimed gagging.

"I can see you're going to make your career counselor earn his pay, Stoppable." Bonnie turned to Kim again. "But let's get back to Erik. So, K, you brought an artificial date to the Prom. Interesting. Was that like a mercy gift from your parents, or did you have to use your own money?"

The forefinger of Ron's free hand traced a circle in front of her face. "Check your facts, Bon Bon. Erik _was _a ringer, sent here by Drakken to keep tabs on Kim. But she knew about it the whole time, and strung him along until we learned the location of their hideout."

Bonnie gave Kim a skeptical look but before she could speak again Monique stepped close.

"Anyway, _B_, shouldn't you be more concerned why your own date doesn't seem to want to spend any time with you?"

"Just where is Brick, anyway?" demanded Angela. "Have you even danced with him at all tonight?"

"He's gotten all the... dances he's ever going to get out of me," Bonnie snapped. "But I don't see how it's any concern of yours."

The two teens glared at each other and another of their famously heated exchanges seemed inevitable until Tara stepped between them.

In a low but resolute voice she said, "Bonnie, you owe Kim and Ron an apology for what you said earlier."

A sneer came to the brunette's face. She drew in breath for a reply, then her gaze traveled around to the people nearby and the lack of support exhibited there seemed to take her aback.

Ron looked at Kim. She raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner, but he shrugged.

"Bonnie? Ah, Bonnie?"

"Yes?" she asked Kim in a petulant voice.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you before, but I think your dress is beautiful. Really brings out your eyes."

Bonnie held onto her frown for several seconds, then mumbled, "Thanks, Kim." Running her gaze over the redhead's gown, she muttered, "Yours isn't so bad, either."

"Ah, well, maybe... before the flamethrowers got to it." Kim raised a hand up to the flesh colored bandage on her arm. "You just should have seen me a few hours ago."

"You made a good choice, _okay_?" Bonnie's gaze traveled over to a place on the wall where Brick's name was listed as a holder of two school athletic records, then she seemed to force herself to look directly at Ron. With an only half repressed shudder she added more softly, "Maybe even more than one."

Monique asked, "Are we still on the topic of fashion or did I just-"

"Possible! Stoppable! Front and center!"

Ron glared over in Barkin's direction. "Do you think megaphone might be his middle name?"

Kim shrugged. "I guess we better get going here. Ladies, I, uh, no," she raised up the hand that held Ron's, "_we_, will see you all on Monday."

Monique leaned close to Kim to whisper, "Do not _even_ think about going to bed tonight without calling me first."

"Ah... that could be pretty late, Mon."

"You've been given your one and only warning. Ignore it at your peril." She mock glowered at Kim until the redhead relented.

Monique nodded back and smiled. "Cellie and I will be waiting." She turned to Ron and made a tisking sound. "Ears like those and you still couldn't hear all the signals this sister was sending your way."

"Well... That is... KP knows I'm all about the slow road, all right?"

"I think we've turned the corner on that little problem," Kim said dryly. "But we better get going, Ron. Good night everybody."

They had traveled about ten feet when a voice behind them shouted, "Watch out for grass stains!"

Kim stopped and Ron did the same. Her narrowed eyes fixed on his as she called out, "Hope?"

"Yes, Kim?"

"We wouldn't want another grounding incident this close to the start of summer vacation, so be sure to let your parents know you might have to stay really late after practice on Monday performing extra drills."

"Ah... Shutting up now, Captain."

Kim nodded in a satisfied manner and they started forward again.

"Things will settle down at school, KP. It's just gonna take a couple of days for the newness to wear off."

"I know."

"But I am kinda worr-ah, wondering how your family is going to take the news."

"He, no, _they_ will be totally cool, Ron. I-I'm sure of it," she added in a tone that made him think otherwise.

"Yeeeeah." They walked on another dozen paces. "Mr. B, you bellowed?"

The Vice Principal gave each of them a characteristically dour appraisal. "You two have been busy this evening," he growled.

"Well, Mr. Barkin, I know things got a little... demonstrative here, but I promise that was a one time-"

"I'm talking about saving the world, Possible!"

"Oh. That."

"No drama, there, SB. Ah, Mr. SB. Sir. KP's up to double digits by now on the planet protection thing."

"Looks like this one's going to be different from all the others. At the request of your parents, I've arranged for a police escort to get you home safely tonight."

"Drakken and Shego have escaped? Already?"

"No. And there are even more insidious threats out there than super-villains, Possible."

"Such as?"

"The Fifth Estate."

"Okay, for like this entire month I've been looking at _both_ sides of my Review Sheets for English. And I still don't know what you two are talking about."

"Reporters, Ron. The Press."

Barkin nodded. "Local and otherwise. Sgt. Hubble-"

"Hobble," corrected Kim.

Barkin stared down at the teen for a few seconds. "Sgt. _Hobble_ of the M.P.D. says there are already almost a dozen camera crews around town. All searching for you two."

"Wow. I guess we probably should get home as quick as we can."

"Then let's take my scooter, KP. Rocket powered!"

"Negative, Stoppable. The city is a mess right now. Traffic lights are out, and there are downed utility lines everywhere."

"We'll do it the police way, Ron."

"But what about my bike? Before I couldn't pay somebody to steal the thing, but now... "

Barkin reached inside his red and orange checked suit coat and produced a ring of keys. "The short circular one opens the sports equipment locker. You can stow your bike in there."

"Right. Thanks. And where exactly would I find that locker?"

Barkin's expression became even more disapproving. "Stoppable, you've attended this school for almost three years... "

"I know where that locker is, Mr. Barkin. I can take him."

"No. I have something I want to talk to you about." The Vice Principal surveyed the rapidly dwindling population of the gym. "Flagg! Get over here!"

After nodding at Kim and Ron the quarterback asked, "Yeah, Coach?"

"Stoppable needs to put something in the equipment locker. Show him where it is."

Ten minutes later Ron and Brick were rolling the former's motor scooter along a back hallway on the far side of the gym.

"So... you and Possible."

"Yeah, me and Kim."

"You landed the whale, Stoppable."

"Uh, right."

"I've seen Kim mow jocks down by the barrelful." He held up a thumb and forefinger and pinched them together. "There's this thing she does with her eyes - doesn't even have to say anything. But somehow you made the grade." He ran his eyes over Ron. "Confusing, but cool."

They had reached the storage bin by that point and he unlocked the gate - after Ron tactfully pointed out which end of the key went into the keyhole.

As they walked back to the gym, Brick ventured, "Kim and Monique hang a lot, right?"

"Yeah, they're close."

Ron could almost make out the sound of wheels turning from the direction of the other's skull before Brick said, "Monique's a plate and a half, huh?"

Ron watched him trace a credible outline of the teen's figure in the air, before stating, "She _is _pretty."

"Don't know why I asked something I already knew. What I'm not so sure about is whether, uh, so, anyway, does she (expletive)?"

"Ah. Well. Hmm." Ron tugged spasmodically at his bow tie. "S'funny, ha ha, in all the years I've known Monique, _that_ subject has never actually come up in a conversation."

"Weird. I think that's about the best ice... uh, cruncher there is. Okay, so tell me about her parents."

Relieved at the abrupt change in topic, Ron said, "Nice people, both of 'em. Her Dad is a minister - or a reverend, I always get those mixed up. Mom runs a gun shop some place in Lowerton.

"Now I know what you're thinking, how did two opposites like that ever connect? Cute story. They were serving in the Marine Corps together and-"

Ron was both staggered and silenced by the hand that thumped against his back. "Have a good life, Stoppable."

"Her brother's gonna be a cop when he finishes college," Ron added, as he watched the young man walk away from him. "Uh, yeah, Brick, the gym's back this way."

"Yeah." The older teen paused with one hand resting on the press bar of an exit door, then turned around. "Y'know, you're not a bad guy, Stoppable. Even though you get good grades and didn't have to repeat any classes, you never went all high... helmet on me."

He cursed again and reached inside his tuxedo. "These aren't going to do _me_ any good tonight. You might as well have 'em, stud."

A thin shiny rectangle was tossed in Ron's direction. He caught it, gave the object a cursory look, then called out his thanks just before the door slammed shut again.

An instant later the door at the opposite end of the hallway opened and he saw Kim silhouetted in the brighter light of the gymnasium.

"Ron? We need to get going. The police have plenty to do tonight besides be a taxi service for us."

"Coming." He jogged forward and stepped through the door she held open.

"What do you have in your hand there?"

"Going away present from Brick. Nice gesture I guess, but I really didn't get _that_ dirty on the mission, and I've washed my hands since then anyway."

Kim considered the foil packages a moment, then her eyes widened to an alarming degree.

"Nah-ah-ah! Those aren't cleaning cloths, Ron!"

"No?" He raised the object up to the level of his face. "Well, if they didn't make the print so small... "

"Will you stop waving those things around?" she hissed. Kim grabbed the packages from him, looked down at her dress, realized she had no pockets, and thrust her hand inside his tuxedo jacket.

"Hey, hey," he protested. "I thought we were done with the tickling."

Her arm moved from one side of his chest to the other, snarling, "Why doesn't this thing have any pockets?"

Kim withdrew her hand and moved close enough for their fronts to touch. She sank her closed fist into his pants pocket, then recoiled violently.

"Eeegh! What is _that_? Oh, right. S-sorry, Rufus."

She switched to his other front pocket and when her hand came into view again it was empty.

Kim glanced quickly to her left and right, then let out a weary sigh. "It's decided. This summer I teach you CPR. Because if something like this ever comes up again, I'm going to need it."

Her smile broadened as she put her arms around his waist. "Which isn't to say your naiveté is_ all _bad... "

Ron gave her a distracted nod, then his eyes returned to the person now about twenty feet directly behind her.

"Wha-" A look of pain crossed her features for a moment, and she drew her hands back hastily. She whispered, "It-it's Barkin, isn't it?"

"No. No, it's not."

"Then who-"

"Everything okay there, Kimmie-Cub?"

* * *

_I really should have seen this coming,_ Kim told herself glumly. _I mean the Yin/Yang of my life, the stand up/get knocked down pattern that is my existence, pretty much demanded it. _

_So now I've got a boyfriend - and not just a companion to attend social events with, either. Ron is my soul mate, the guy who, like the song says, is always there for me. And if I'm very, very lucky, that might still be the case after a summer (at least) of me being on Home Confinement. _

_Okay, don't automatically assume the worse, Possible. Dad hasn't dropped the 'G' word yet. He hasn't said much of anything, actually, if you don't count him mumbling, 'The car is this way.' That and insisting, 'You're in the front seat with me, Ronald.'_

She looked up as the family van started forward, trailing a police cruiser with its lights flashing silently, while another patrol car brought up the rear.

The officers in the first vehicle caused their siren to squawk once and the reporters blocking the parking lot exit grudgingly parted, although the floodlights of their cameras were still blindingly bright.

_Now, it is possible that I'm making trouble for myself - no, for me _and_ Ron - that just isn't there. We don't know for sure that Dad really picked up on the exact nature of the 'present' from Brick. All kinds of other things could be going through his head right now. _

She watched his hands convulsively tighten on the steering wheel once again and decided she wanted to bring this to a head now, regardless of the ultimate consequences, rather than have it drag out for the entire trip home.

"So, Dad, anything on your mind?"

Several heartbeats later he replied, "I think you could say that, yes."

"Well, can we help?"

"For the most part that answer would be no. You can't do anything about your mother being out in all this confusion."

"She went to the hospital?"

"Yes. I haven't been able to reach her cell in nearly an hour. The new one, I mean, not the older one she gave to you. Apparently a number of communication towers are out of commission. Thanks to those rampaging robot things that I... "

His voice dwindled away so she ventured, "Dad, you couldn't... Please tell me that you're not blaming yourself for the way Drakken used the Hephaestus technology he stole from you. You are not responsible for that-"

"And then... " His raised voice was a clear signal for her to drop that subject. "And then there's the extensive damage to the house by those Diablo devices. I don't know if we'll even be able to sleep there tonight."

"Aw, you can always bunk with us, Dr. P. As long as you need to."

"Thank you, Ronald. Your parents have already extended that invitation."

They passed through another intersection where police officers were directing traffic and Kim said, "The Middleton Police are out in force, so Mom won't have any trouble driving around. And we won't be sleeping outdoors tonight, no matter what."

"There's a small army of reporters camped out at the house," said her father.

"Hmm. I've never had trouble with a one-on-one interview before, but this is going to be different, for sure. That's what Barkin wanted to talk to me about, Ron. He gave me a strong warning to _not_ go in front of those cameras until I have it clear in my head exactly what I want to say - and not say. He sort of implied that a news interview gone wrong pretty much finished off his military career.

"Well, you can help me with that, Ron. Because we're going to face them together. You, too, Rufus." The lack of an acknowledgement told her the mole rat was sleeping. "And I want Wade to be there, as well, if we can arm twist him into it. Credit where credit is due, and all that."

Neither of the males in the front seat replied verbally, but they nodded their heads in a remarkably synchronized fashion.

_That's right, guys. This year's Kimmie model _is _capable of sharing the glory. _

Her father cleared his throat. " 'Credit where credit is due.' That's another thing on my mind at the moment."

"What do you mean, Dad?"

"I didn't see either of you when you got back from the mission. But your mother told me that you've reached some sort of... understanding."

"We are dating," Kim told him flatly. "Ron is now my boyfriend."

"And there's no electronic mood manipulation involved this time?"

"No, this is the real thing."

"I see. Well, Kimmie-Cub, you know my opinion on the subject of dating. I would have preferred that you waited until college for that to start. That's what I did."

"I know, Dad. I know." _But was that really your idea - or the girls in your high school?_

"As for having a boyfriend... It seems that should have been put off until Grad School. Or later." He exhaled theatrically. "Well, I've deferred to your Mother's judgment on this topic, and she isn't wrong about much, is she?"

"I've never known her to wrong about anything."

"With the glaring exception of 'Captain Constellation,' I would agree." He gestured toward Ron and then back to her. "She did predict this… romance between you two. More than a decade ago."

"Mrs. Dr. P. rocks!" enthused Ron.

"But I had always dismissed the idea. Which was why the _crushing, _as I believe you young people call it these days, of last month caught me off guard." He hesitated, then said, "I realize now that I was unfair to you, Ronald, and made an inappropriate accusation."

"What?" demanded Kim. "I never heard anything about this!"

Ron held a hand up in front of her as a clear signal not to enter the conversation, and out of surprise she found herself complying.

"Forget it, Dr. P. The Moodulator threw us all off our game. No big."

"Allow me to finish, please. As I said, I'm not thrilled with the two of you dating so young, and frankly, I worry that the intensity of feelings that have always been there between you will lead to… impaired thinking and improper decisions.

"But, that being said, you will never again hear me warn you not to harm Kim. That was an incredibly hypocritical statement on my part."

"Still waiting for the full story on this mysterious conversation no one saw fit to include me in," complained Kim.

"Did you ever tell Ronald about the pants up on the wall of my office?"

She was taken aback by the abrupt change in conversation. "I… Uh… No, I never did."

"Why not?"

"Because… I always thought it was a little creepy."

"I imagine you'll see it a bit differently when you have children of your own." Her father turned to look at Ron again and then his head snapped back toward the road. "Ah, Ronald, do you remember on Kim's twelfth birthday, Anne took the two of you to the bank?"

"When it was being robbed? Oh, yeah. Not gonna forget that any time soon, Dr. P."

"Kim would have died that day if not for you."

"Man, all I did was tear my pants on the edge of a counter."

"Thereby providing the distraction needed for Kim to knock that gunman unconscious. And I know from various conversations with Wade, that was not a solitary occurrence." His voice took on a more thoughtful tone. "Ah, the stimulating discussions I've had with that young man about Chaos Theory… "

"Some people call it the Ron Factor, Dad. And if I was to tell you how many times it had saved me from serious-"

"Probably best that you _not_ elaborate there, Kimmie-Cub. Anyway, Ronald, for me to accuse you of deliberately hurting her… "

"No, sir. No way. I was put on this earth to _keep_ that from happening."

"A very unscientific thesis, Ronald," the teen was informed in a rather severe tone. Then James Possible gave him a slight smile and added, "But one that her mother and I have come to believe without question." He extended his hand and Ron shook it with vigor and a grin that seemed to show every one of his blocky white teeth.

When they reached their neighborhood, they saw that barricades had been placed at the end of the street to keep out a fleet of media vehicles. The police cars veered off to one side and another officer waved the van through a temporary opening in the barrier. Kim did her best to ignore the spotlights that suddenly pointed their way and gestured her thanks to Sgt. Hobble as they passed.

"Looks like a reception committee is waiting," said her father as he pulled into the driveway.

Ron noticed both his parents standing before the Possible residence. "Oh, man. Did I forgot to take the trash out before I left home tonight?" He was the last one to exit the vehicle. "Hey Mom, Dad. Strange night, huh?"

They studied him intently for several seconds, then Ron's mother asked, "Kimmie, is… is it true?"

"Depends on what you're referring to, Mrs. S." _Although I've got a pretty good idea already._

Ron's father said hesitantly, "Well, your mother told us that you two were… dating now."

"Ah, technically this is still our first one, so maybe 'dating' isn't true in a literal sense just yet. But when we go out again tomorrow night… " She linked her arm through Ron's and added, "Mr. And Mrs. Stoppable, allow me to introduce my boyfriend."

His parents looked at each and their faces lit up like Kim had never seen before. Then she and Ron got an intense hug from each of them. "You're so good for him, Kimmie," whispered Ron's mother while they were embracing.

"That goes both ways, Mrs. S."

The sound of someone humming Mendelsohn's "Wedding March" made Kim look over to the front doorway, a good portion of which was now being filled by her Aunt June.

"James, if I told you once, I told you a thousand times. Those two were going to end up together."

"Yes, Junie, I suppose you did."

"But, hang on there, Ms. Catlett. Everybody needs to know that KP and me are gonna keep the whole dating thing low key. You know, casual."

The front yard was quiet for the space of perhaps three seconds, then Aunt June announced, "Now I've always been partial to September weddings myself… "

After that, all four of the adults present began speaking at the same time and none of them showed an interest in consulting with either Kim or Ron.

The teens joined hands again and moved close when one of the Tweebs shouted out, "They're back! Mom, Mom, hurry!"

"Anne? You're home! But where's the car?"

"I got a flat tire on some broken pavement and a police officer gave me a ride back."

"What about the hospital?"

"The ER doctors told me to go back home again because there were so few casualties. But if those robots had been active for even a few more minutes… "

Jim grabbed her coat sleeve and pulled it. "Check him, Mom. Before it's irreversible!"

"Stat, Mom!" added Tim. "Here's your bag."

"Boys, will you stop that, please! Thank you. Anyway, Ron looks fine to me."

"Never better, Mrs. Dr. P."

She twitched, then frowned after Jim poked her side again. "Ah, no ill effects from the fight?"

"Well, Shego clocked me a good one, but… " His voice trailed away when he realized he had just broken Team Possible's Rule Number One by revealing TMI about a mission. "Ah… I'm good. Really. That's just a bit that me and Shego do. You know, for laughs." His eyes went hurriedly from one concerned face to another. "Anyway, I didn't even get electro-shocked like KP did!"

"Not helping," Kim muttered bitterly. More loudly, she said, "Ron and I are both perfectly fine. So what's this all about?"

"Brain trauma," Tim told her.

"Undoubtedly an advanced case," Jim continued.

They each gave her an accusatory glare and then she understood. "Because only a severe head injury would make a boy want to date me?"

"Obviously."

It took both of Kim's parents and her new boyfriend to fully restrain her before the Twins had been sent out of sight.

Half an hour later she and Ron had changed out of their formalwear, and were sprawled out on the couch in her family room idly flipping through TV channels. Not every station they selected was running a story about her, or the Diablos, or both, but there were enough for it to become something of a running joke between them.

There were few mentions of Ron in any of the news interviews they had caught so far, but his mood remained high. She was very glad the invitation from a few minutes ago to witness the upcoming Independence Day celebrations in Washington as the guest of the President had included him. Although even if it had not, the massive quantities of snacks his mother brought in to them every few minutes would have probably done the trick just as well.

Kim felt a new twinge of guilt as the renewed sound of hammering and sawing from outside came to her, but her mother had been quite insistent about them taking it easy the rest of the night. Anyway, there were plenty of donated building supplies – and volunteers who knew how to use them – out front already.

She looked to her left. From barely three feet away it was easy to notice the orange dusting of Cheese Worms on Ron's upper and lower lips.

"Hey, you've got uh… " She smiled. "Man, I keep forgetting." After a hasty glance toward the door, she leaned over and cleaned his mouth with her tongue.

The hand that wasn't holding the remote control squeezed hers. "Oh, yeah! I vow to be more sloppy more often."

"I'm not sure that's humanly possible." She bumped her shoulder against his. "But give it your best shot."

"I'm all about challenges, KP. You just watch… I… Boo-yah! There it is! You're even on TV Trash Heap!"

She considered the giant screen for a moment. "No. Uh uh. We already said a scrolling marquee doesn't count. It has to be an actual interruption of programming."

Kim thought she heard Rufus grumbling in response, but when she looked toward him he was staring up at the ceiling in an ostentatious manner.

She gave him a raspberry and his whiskers twitched indignantly. Then Kim pushed a potato chip bag his way and he was instantly mollified. "What's the count up to, anyway?"

"Well, let's see, KP. There's all the local stations, and the Knowing Channel, and… "

_What did I say earlier tonight? I have no complaints about how this evening had turned out? Guess that makes me the queen of understatement._

_There were so many ways this night could have gone south – and yet it didn't. Everything turned out perfectly. Drakken, the dance, Dad. Anything else?_

_Right. Just one other small little matter. The most perfect guy in the world for you is now… your guy. No doubt about it anymore, the shared journey will continue._

_He's been by your side for every part of childhood. The good and bad. Every obstacle, every set back along the way was either overcome or endured with his help._

_And now we are – or soon will be – adults. Which means a whole new set of dangers and rewards are going to be waiting for us. Hopefully more of the latter but, given the kind of lives we lead, probably not._

_Still, there will be good times. The world owes us a few of those, at least. They'll happen at the proper time, the proper place._

_And I won't need to order any escape-proof windows beforehand._

The End

* * *

Author Notes:

I have never publicly presented any type of fiction before, and so was a complete unknown to virtually everyone on this website back almost ten months ago when the first installment of this story appeared. The fact that so many people were willing to take a look at my work, and then come back for more in spite of my many beginners' mistakes, is extremely gratifying.

My sincerest thanks go out to the following reviewers:

**CajunBear73**, DrBeat, Louis Mielke, keth1, ScareGlow, **screaming phoenix**, jlgreen, **melissaeverlasting**, Comet Moon, rebafan4ever, motorized-sasquatch, spectre666, Yankee Bard, daywalker82, MrDrP, Joe Stoppinghem, Pojko, eckles, nutshak, Stubbs101, wopr, RobinofYJ, ShadowBlade989, Mr. Wizard, tom bourassa, David R. Genrich, HecatonchirestLM, The defenastrator, TymofeY, Aotsfan, Wushu, Gwendolin Sparrow, Vaapad, **BeeKay84**, Dark Lady of the Sith, noncynic, dataweaver, babbitrulez, Laura Crossing, , NakedMoleDogg, xyzisme, waveform, aedan cameron, Nftnat, Katsumara, cabrera1234, Shrike176, the grey mage, KPRS shipper, Ms Violet B Hollister, gothgurl13, redchinese, kaiokken, Slipgate, MISS SUNNYBAUDELAIRE, and Muzzlehatch.

Humble thanks also go out to my alpha (heh heh) beta reader Melissa, and her backups, Tina and BeeKay84. Believe me, people, if not for the efforts of these three hard working young women, things could have been much worse…

Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, Wade, and Rufus were created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley for the Disney Channel.

Those characters, along with their families, friends, and foes, are all used here without the permission of the copyright holder, but admiration (to put it mildly!) rather than financial gain is the motivation.


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